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

I was the slowest doctor in the herd of physicians responding to code blue alerts for medical emergencies at the hospital.

From Scientific American • Feb. 19, 2023

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

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2022

On the night of Feb. 28, he had been running up and down the stairs, responding to "code blue" calls and dropping into patients' rooms to insert breathing tubes.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2021

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