Patient Safety Focus: Mock Codes Improve Safety
Mock codes, such as the drills held this summer on Tower 14CD and CT MRI Radiology, are providing the code teams with experience for responding to cardiac arrests. BWH's CPR Committee continues its comprehensive push to promote excellence in cardiovascular care across the main campus of the hospital. The CPR Committee, co-chaired by Peter Stone, MD, and Judy Perron, RN, aims to improve the response of the code teams and staff from across the hospital to events of cardiac arrest in patients, visitors or staff.
The mock code comes as a surprise for everyone in a specific unit and the members of the responding Code Team. STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation staff set up a computerized mannequin that allows for the “patient” to demonstrate signs of cardiac arrest providing the code team experience in caring for this patient as if it were a real event.
First responders are expected to perform basic life support using the American Heart Association's guidelines for airway, breathing, circulation and defibrillation until the code team arrives. Upon its arrival, the BWH Code Team assumes care of the patient. STRATUS staff record intervention times, such as defibrillation or intubation, medication delivery and deviations from protocol. An interactive debriefing, facilitated by Charles Pozner, MD, medical director of STRATUS, and a detailed report follow.
According to members of the Code and Patient Safety Teams, these mock exercises result in valuable educational experiences and system improvements.