Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

Assess a patient's level of consciousness based on clinical responses.

Responses

Eye Opening (1-4)

Verbal Response (1-5)

Motor Response (1-6)

GCS Analysis

Select the patient's responses in each category to calculate the total GCS score.

Overview

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is used to objectively describe the extent of impaired consciousness in all types of acute medical and trauma patients. It scales from 3 (deep coma or death) to 15 (fully awake). It is divided into three categories: Eye Opening, Verbal Response, and Motor Response.

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Pro Tips

Use the 'best' response the patient gives for each category during your assessment.
If a patient's eyes are swollen shut, document that rather than assigning a score of 1.
Assess verbal response by asking standard questions like 'Do you know where you are?'
Monitor the GCS score over time to see if a patient's neurological status is improving or declining.

Fun Facts

"The GCS was first published in 1974 by medical researchers at the University of Glasgow."
"A score of 8 or less is often the clinical threshold for intubation ('8, intubate')."
"The scale is designed to be highly reliable between different medical providers (inter-rater reliability)."
"External factors like drug use, alcohol, or shock can influence the true GCS reading."

Formula: GCS = Eye (E) + Verbal (V) + Motor (M)

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