Now Hear This. Now Hear This... Code BLUE. Code BLUE...

At my hospital, PA announcements are very rare. Purposefully so, as to ensure that when there is one, it gets our attention.

The most common of the rare announcements is the Code Blue - Cardiac Arrest. (Other terms you may be familiar with: "Coded", "Flatlined", or needing CPR.)

Tonight, after a busy night, we'd slowed down... and then, over the PA...

"Now hear this. Now hear this. Code Blue. Code Blue in ******."

I learned something new, or I'd just never noticed because of other things going on, but... Radiology Techs respond to Code Blue, too.

So, off I and another tech got moving. Quickly. We went to the ward where a patient was lying in his bed, while 10+ staff worked feverishly to keep him alive.

At one point, I counted over 15 responders, including security, nurses, respiratory techs, doctors, staff, and... two Radiology Techs. People rotated through doing the chest compressions as you can tire out easily.

Over the next 20 minutes, this team fought to keep him alive. I started to wonder if perhaps, he might not make it. It had been a long time. The odds didn't seem to be in his favor.

The family was called. I hoped that in their haste to rush to the side of their loved one that they'd be safe and not need their own emergency care. I can only imagine how some might react if called in the middle of the night and told their loved one had gone into cardiac arrest and may not be around long.

The other tech and I continued to talk... discussing various things, the shift, death, CPR, E... it meandered.

And then, beep.... beep... beep... I looked and could see his chest moving. He was making it! He wasn't going to die... not now, at least.

The crowd thinned, and we moved in and got out pictures to help document what may have caused the cardiac arrest.

And another successful day. I like my job!