Standardising the use of "2222" for in-hospital cardiac arrest calls

Aims This audit aimed to assess whether "2222" is the number used for cardiac arrest calls in Irish hospitals. Methods Between June and August 2019, 167 potential hospitals were contacted via telephone to assess whether they had cardiac arrest teams and to ask how such teams were activated. Results In total, 67 Irish hospitals with cardiac arrest teams were identified. All of these institutions completed the survey. Fifty-two hospitals (77.6%) use 2222 as a cardiac arrest number. The number 2222 is used in 82% of public hospitals (n=42), compared with 62% (n=10) of private hospitals. Overall, 14 different cardiac arrest numbers and various button systems are in use. Discussion As 15 Irish hospitals with cardiac arrest teams still do not use 2222 as a cardiac arrest call number, there remains a significant amount of work to be done to achieve compliance with European Resuscitation Council, Irish College of Anaesthesiologists and HSE recommendations.