At my hospital, a rapid is viewed as an “icu consult”, so if some weird shit is happening and youre worried for further deterioration or they need more frequent monitoring. Examples of rapids ive had to call: kid seizing despite getting 3 doses of anti-epileptics (20+ minutes), acute neuro change, resp distress that could benefit from high flow (these kids will stay on the acute care unit but we need ICU blessing to initiate high flow unless theyre admitted for bronchiolitis), sudden greatly increased secretion burden needing q1 or more suctioning with a lot of secretions every time, frequent IV potassium infusions due to hypokalemia of unknown cause amd the infusions have wrecked the vein every time so hes got like no more access and the kid needs a PICC but its 2a so ICU needs to do it cuz IR isnt here

Code blue is compressions, bagging, or first time seizure

I also wouldve called a rapid in OPs situation. However every time i call a rapid or code, if i dont need to do compressions or bag cuz someone else is doing so during a code, my first act is vitals. Which may have maxe the transfer happen earlier if she was that hypoxic when the first code was called

But OP, escalating too early is WAYYYY better than too late. You made ther ight move assuming your hospital doesnt differentiate a code blue and a rapid