Sunday, November 4, 2007

Code "Brown"

Of all the codes called in the hospital, this call "Code Brown" turns even the most hardened healthcare provider into a squirming ball of goo. In a "Code Blue" everyone seems to show up to try to help or see what is going on. There is one person who grabs the crash cart, another who grabs the oxygen and yet another who starts CPR. Others show up from anesthesia, xray and the lab. There is even a person whose whole job is to document the whole thing for medicolegal records. Call a "Code Brown" and suddenly everyone is deaf or just has to run to the other side of the hospital for some stat thing.

After you call a "Code Brown" the real heros eventually arrive. The orderlies, nurses and patient care assisstants. They delicately ensure privacy and daintily move all the invasive lines and take care of the "Code" with true decorum and care. The frequency of "Code Browns" in the ICU is often not noticed by the patients or even their families and I am sure that they don't even say thanks to the true "Code Brown Heros" of the hospital.

3 comments:

SeaSpray said...

Hi Throckmorton- At first I thought you were talking about an internal disaster because that is what a code brown was in our hospital. I remember seeing a memo stating that in NJ(my state)that as of January 06 they were going to a universal code system for all hospitals but I am not familiar with it all now as I have been away from that job for awhile now.

Forgive my naivete...but are you talking bowel movement here? Clever...you had me going for a bit. I agree with you and I give caregivers in whatever capacity a lot of credit for doing what they do and doing it well. Heroes indeed. :)

Chrysalis said...

You betcha Seaspray. Glad to see he/she is posting again.

SeaSpray said...

Hi Angel - I am going with Throckmorton is a guy because well...because of the name but mostly because I think he writes like a guy.

Although some people don't want any part of themselves revealed on the www and so could pick up an opposite persona. Just feels more masculine here. But I could be wrong. :)

P.S. I found a Throckmorton mug, mousepad, etc....not getting them..just amused. :)

I didn't know what Happy Hospitalist was and first referred to him as she and then he/she when I put his comment up in my blog but he told me he was a he, so I changed it. :)