Code White: Wockhardt Hospital aces new code for Neurological Emegencies

Mumbai: Wockhardt Hospital (Mumbai Central) has become the first healthcare provider in India to have the emergency staff fully Emergency Neurological Life Support Certified (ENLS-USA).

According to a statement here on Sunday, realizing the danger of permanent disability or death arising out of brain disorders, Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central is the first in India to start ENLS certified Brain Resuscitation services in the critical hours of neurological emergencies. It was the only Hospital across India with all 5 emergency doctors and 16 emergency nurses ENLS, USA certified, the statement claimed.

ENLS is a common practice across the world, but is unfortunately still in its infancy in India. Giving neurological emergencies the importance they deserve, Dr Shirish Hastak Director, Neurology and stroke services at Wockhardt came up initially with the Code white Emergency measure.

Code white is a metaphoric alert button pushed by the emergency team in the hospital for acute stroke which is a part of the ENLS plan. On activation of Code White a brain resuscitation team reaches the emergency department within 5 minutes and within 15 minutes an imaging is done for proper diagnosis. Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) plan will widen the scope beyond stroke and help healthcare professionals improve outcomes during the critical first hour of a neurological emergency.

It creates a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach and provides a consistent set of protocols, practical checklists, decision points and suggested communication for patient management. The emergencies in ENLS include not only stroke but also seizure, encephalopathy, traumatic brain/spine injury, brain infections and systematic approach to coma.