code blue

American  

noun

1. (often initial capital letters) a medical emergency in which paramedics are dispatched to aid a person undergoing cardiac arrest.

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Etymology

Origin of code blue

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Suddenly, a piercing code blue alarm sounded in the emergency room.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2022

When a code blue is sounded at the hospital signaling a cardiac arrest, nurse Yesenia Avila says a little prayer.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2021

The nurse called a code blue, and a team of more doctors and nurses ran over.

From Scientific American • Nov. 9, 2019

Over the last year, the channel’s audience has dropped by more than 20 percent, creating a code blue for its executives and corporate overlords.

From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2012

“Code blue, code blue in Trauma,” blares the PA.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman