Comparison of Code Blue Practices Between the First Year of COVID-19 and the Previous Year

Abstract

Aim:After the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection was declared a pandemic, there were some changes made to the code blue and resuscitation practices. We compared code blue practices between the first year of COVID-19 and the previous year.Methods:We accepted the pre-pandemic (group 1) period from March 11th, 2019 to March 11th, 2020, and the post-pandemic (group 2) period from March 11th, 2020 to March 11th, 2021. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. We investigated the incidence of code blue, the unit where the call was made, the team’s time of arrival, the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the general outcomes. We analyzed the 6 month follow-ups of the patients.Results:There was an increase in the incidence of code blue in group 2 (0.4-0.9%). The two groups showed a significant difference in the time of arrival, ROSC, and 1 month and 6 month survival. The ROSC rate and 1 month survival were lower in COVID-19 patients (p<0.001). Six month survival was lower in COVID-19 patients (p=0.031). We identified 63 faulty calls, and 38 of these patients died within 6 months.Conclusion:The faulty code blue calls may be a predictor of poor prognosis, and early warning systems should be developed for patients with poor conditions.

Keywords

• code blue
• cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• covid-19
• survival rate