Activation codes in urgency and emergency care. The utility of prioritising

Abstract

“Time-dependent” pathologies, understood as those in which diagnostic or therapeutic delay negatively influences the evolution and prognosis of a case, are considered to be critical in emergencies, as their morbidity and mortality is directly related to delay in starting treatment. Examples of this type of pathology can be found in normal clinical practice, i.e. cardiac arrest, stroke, trauma, acute coronary syndrome or sepsis. The creation of systems of coordination between care levels involving different levels of complexity has made possible the implementation and, finally, the consolidation of certain procedures agreed upon amongst all health professionals involved in the care process. These procedures, in a spontaneous and generic way, have been defined as “activation codes”. The appearance of these codes apparently seems simple, but represents a challenge. On an emergency being detected, the receiving centre appropriate for the patient is warned through an emergency coordinating centre and the patient is taken to that centre. What is sought with the codes is coordinated team work, based on scientific protocols recognised by those involved in care and the scientific community, and avoidance of duplicated actions and unnecessary delays in actions with the patient. In short, their single aim is joint work in the patient’s benefit.