A shorthand representation for something. Hospitals often use colors or numbers to indicate urgent situations. For example, “code blue” often is used to mean that a patient needs resuscitation; “code 2” may signal a disruptive (violent) patient or visitor; “Dr. Red” might mean a fire. A “code purple” in some hospitals means that a “VIP’ (very important person) has arrived as an inpatient or at the emergency department (ED). The codes are spoken over the public address system, usually along with information about the location of the situation; for example, “code 7, ICU” (intensive care unit). These codes give the people who need to know (and respond) concise information, without unnecessarily upsetting patients and visitors.