[Color-codes implementation shortens the decision-to-delivery interval of emergency C-sections]

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Surgical Safety
• Healthcare Management

Context:

• Emergency Cesarean sections (CS) require rapid intervention.
• The decision-to-delivery interval (DDI) is a critical metric for maternal and neonatal outcomes.
• Standardized communication protocols can optimize surgical workflows.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel color-code communication tool in reducing the DDI for emergency CS.
• To compare DDI across different stages of implementation: spontaneous, introduction of color-codes, and protocol implementation.
• To assess the impact of urgency-coded protocols on achieving target DDIs.

Summary:

• The study compared DDI over three periods, introducing a color-code system (amber for urgent, red for very urgent CS) with defined target DDIs.
• Mean DDI for amber codes decreased from 42 to 24 minutes, achieving 82.1% of the 30-minute objective.
• Mean DDI for red codes decreased from 24.9 to 10.7 minutes, achieving 83.3% of the 15-minute objective.

Impact:

• The implemented color-code system and protocols significantly shortened the DDI for emergency CS.
• This intervention demonstrates a potential to improve the safety and efficiency of emergency obstetric care.
• The findings support the adoption of standardized, urgency-driven communication tools in high-risk surgical environments.