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AMBULANCE CODES

NATIONAL RADIO CODES / AMBULANCE

TEN CODES

CODEDESCRIPTION
10-0 Off duty
10-1 Broadcast to all units
10-2 En-route to job
10-3 Available
10-4 Repeat your last message
10-6 Change channel
10-7 Arrived at job
10-8 Busy but available
10-9 Urgent Message
10-10 Police required emergency – A/O in danger

THE COLOUR CODE RESPONSE SYSTEM

Ambulance Communications Centres use a colour code response system to prioritise the urgency of an incident as follows

COLOUR CODE

CODEDESCRIPTION
PURPLEImmediately life-threatening
REDPotentially life-threatening or time-critical
ORANGEUrgent or potentially serious
GREENNon-urgent (low acuity)
GREYNon-urgent (low acuity)

AUMBULANCE RESPONSE PRIORITIES

CODEPRIORITYDESCRIPTION
Purple Very High Cardiac / Respiratory Arrest – Lights & Siren – Also broadcast over the radio for closest vehicle to attend
Red High Lights & siren
Orange Medium Legal Road speed (proceed faster if needed)
Green Low Road speed, non-urgent
Grey Very Low Referred to Clinical Desk or Registered Nurse

AMBULANCE STATUS CODES


The status codes now reflect the potential for threat to life rather than purely how abnormal the patient’s vital signs and physiology are. The new approach requires ambulance officers to make an assessment of the patient’s problem or injuries, combine this with their vital signs and then allocate a status code based on threat to life. This gives them more leeway for common sense than the previous purely physiology based approach.

STATUS ZERO Deceased/Fatality

STATUS ONE patients have an immediate threat to life. Examples would include any of the following – obstructed airway or airway needing intervention to prevent obstruction, severe stridor, severe respiratory distress, shock unresponsive to fluid loading, multi system trauma with very abnormal vital signs, post cardiac arrest with coma, cardiogenic shock, coma with GCS less than or equal to nine.

STATUS TWO patients have a potential threat to life. Examples would include any of the following – moderate stridor, moderate respiratory distress, shock responsive to fluid loading, anyone meeting our pre-hospital definition of major trauma but with normal or near normal vital signs, post cardiac arrest but awake, cardiac chest pain unrelieved by nitrates and oxygen alone, abnormal GCS but greater than nine.

STATUS THREE patients have a condition that is unlikely to be a threat to life. Examples would include any of the following – mild stridor, mild respiratory distress, isolated SVT with no other symptoms, cardiac chest pain relieved by nitrates and oxygen alone, isolated femur fracture.

STATUS FOUR patients have a minor condition that is no threat to life. In overall terms there is not much difference in the status assigned to patients compared with previously. The only significant change is that patients with cardiac chest pain unrelieved by nitrates and oxygen alone will be status two when in the past they often were called status three.

AMBULANCE CODES

RESPONSE CODES

PRIORITY 1 Generally Lights/Siren
PRIORITY 2 Generally no lights/no siren
PRIORITY 3 Routine transports/outpatients – Normally a driver will stick to this guideline but ultimately it is the drivers call at which priority he responds too

JOB CODES

CODEDESCRIPTIONCODEDESCRIPTION
R3airport alertR29MOT officer required
R4road traffic accidentR31doctor required
R5accident other than roadR32senior ambulance officer required
R6medical conditionR33additional ambulances required
R7collapseR34cancel further ambulances
R9overdoseR35ambulance not required
R10drowningR36no sign of accident or incident
R12shootingR37ambulance broken down
R13suicideR38ambulance with puncture
R14bomb alertR39ambulance involved in accident
R15explosionR40request to notify hospital of condition
R16fireR41brawl in progress
R17assaultR42major gang confrontation in progress
R18maternity caseR43stabbing
R19gynaecological caseR44domestic dispute
R20amputationR45armed offender alert
R21electrocutionR46rape
R22homicideR47ambulance officer in trouble – police required
R23DOAR48flying squad, burns specialist etc
R24mentally disturbed patientR49cardiac arrest in transit
R25police required – urgentR50life support unit required
R26police required – non urgentR51patient requires IV fluids
R27fire attendance required – fire or petrol spillR98non urgent – job waiting
R28fire attendance required – persons trappedR99urgent – job waiting

STATUS CODES

CODEDESCRIPTION
STATUS-OPatient Deceased
STATUS-1Patient requires CPR
STATUS-2Patient unstable requires IV fluids
STATUS-3Patient stable but likely to change
STATUS-4Patient stable unlikely to change

CONTROL CAR CODES..USED TO/FROM DELTA ONLY

CODEDESCRIPTIONCODEDESCRIPTION
Q81RespondingQ86Advise executive officer
Q82Not respondingQ87Advise deputy or general manager
Q83Keep me informedQ88Official all clear
Q84More details requiredQ89Standby only
Q85Contact by policeQ90Return to base

CATEGORY A – HOSPITAL AUTHORISED

CODEDESCRIPTION
100Day Case/Outpatient Clinic
110Medical Transfer
120Accident Transfer
130Admissions/Discharges

CATEGORY B – PRIVATE HIRE

CODEDESCRIPTION
200Standby Attendance
210Private Transfer/Hire

CATEGORY C – ACCIDENT

CODEDESCRIPTIONCODEDESCRIPTION
400Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA)510Industrial Accident
410Motorcycle Accident520School Accident
420Truck Accident530Sports Accident
430Bicycle Accident540Pedestrian Accident
440Bus Accident550Drowning
450Pedestrian vs Vehicle560Intentional Injury (by another person – assault)
460Other (road) accident570Other accidents
500Home Accident

CATEGORY C – MEDICAL

CODEDESCRIPTIONCODEDESCRIPTION
700Asthma740Hypoglycemic Diabetic
701COAD741Hypoglycemic Diabetic
709Other Respiratory750Allergy
710Fits/Convulsions760CVA/TIA
720Drug Overdose770Gynecological
730Cardiac Arrest771Bostetric
731LVF/CHF780Psychiatric (including intentional injuries to self and suicide)
732Cardiac Chest Pain790Hyperventilation
739Other Cardiac799Other medical

CATEGORY C – MEDICAL ETC

CODEDESCRIPTION
610Admission
620Discharge
630Day Case/Outpatient

CATEGORY D – NO CHARGE

CODEDESCRIPTIONCODEDESCRIPTION
800Police of Fire standby840Malicious False Alarm (MFA)
810Airport Standby850Area Standby
820Standby at home860Other
830Assistance

GLASCOW COMA SCALE

Glascow Coma Scale

METHANE SITUATION REPORT

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