Red Code Management in a Pediatric Emergency Department
A Retrospective Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15713173 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Serena Bertone (Paediatric Unit, Ospedale Regina Montis Regalis, 12084 Mondovì, Italy, corresponding author), Marco Denina (0000-0002-8495-1844, University of Turin), Manuela Pagano (0000-0001-5418-5168, Ospedale Regina Margherita), Angelo Giovanni Delmonaco (0000-0002-1323-2738, Ospedale Regina Margherita), Emanuele Castagno (0000-0001-7756-5075, Ospedale Regina Margherita), Claudia Bondone (0000-0003-4120-2533, Ospedale Regina Margherita) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 462-462 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-12 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Children (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/children11040462 |
| PMID | 38671679 |
| OpenAlex | W4394768448 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
The "red code" (RC) represents the highest level of emergency in the emergency department (ED). This study retrospectively analyzed RCs in the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital ED, a regional referral center in north Italy, between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2023. The aim was to describe RC characteristics and to identify significant correlations between presenting complaints and clinical management. The study includes 934 RCs (0.9% of overall ED admissions); 64% were assigned based on the Pediatric Assessment Triangle alteration. Most patients, 86.5%, followed the medical pathway, while 13.5% were surgical cases. Admission complaints were respiratory (46.9%), neuropsychiatric (26.7%), traumatic (11.8%), cardiologic (9.3%), metabolic (3.8%), and surgical (1.5%). Seventy-six percent of patients received vascular access, and intraosseous access was obtained in 2.2% of them. In one-third of RCs, an urgent critical care evaluation was necessary, and 19% of cases required admission to the intensive care unit. The overall mortality rate was 3.4% (0.4% in ED setting). The study identified six distinct diagnostic pathways, each associated with specific characteristics in clinical presentation, management, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes. Our findings underscore the need for a systematic approach in pediatric emergency settings, supported by international and national guidelines but also by clearly defined diagnostic pathways, aiming to enhance the quality of care and patient outcomes
Code (set theory · Emergency department · Medical emergency · Programming language · Retrospective cohort study · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Computer Science · Medicine · Nursing · Ophthalmology and Visual Health Research · Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment · Emergency Medicine · Surgery
| Highly cited | No |
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