General
coding
What does coding mean?
Slang meaning a patient is arresting and a resuscitation (code) is being called or run. A patient who has arrested is said to have 'coded.'
"He's coding — start compressions and call it overhead."
Origin
Derived from 'code blue,' the hospital arrest alert.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'coding' mean in a hospital?
It is slang meaning a patient is going into cardiac or respiratory arrest and a resuscitation, or code, is being called or run.
Where does the term come from?
It derives from 'code blue,' the overhead hospital alert announcing a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest.
What does it mean if a patient 'coded'?
It means the patient went into arrest and a resuscitation was activated in response.
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