Glasgow Coma Scale Flashcards
What are the 3 main categories used by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to determine level of consciousness (LOC)?
- Eye opening
- Verbal response
- Motor response
What does a score of 4 in the “eye opening” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is spontaneously opening their eyes.
What does a score of 3 in the “eye opening” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient opens their eyes in response to sound.
What does a score of 2 in the “ey opening” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient opens their eyes in response to pain/pressure.
What does a score of 1 in the “eye opening” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient does not open their eyes in response to any given stimuli.
What does a score of 5 in the “verbal response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient’s verbal responses indicate they are orientated.
What does a score of 4 in the “verbal response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient’s verbal responses indicate they seem confused.
What does a score of 3 in the “verbal response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is speaking gibberish and nonsensical words.
What does a score of 2 in the “verbal response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is producing sounds but no recognizable words.
What does a score of 1 in the “verbal response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is not giving any verbal responses to stimuli.
What does a score of 6 in the “motor response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient can give an appropriate motor response when given a command.
What does a score of 5 in the “motor response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient localizes to pain/pressure and moves to the stimulus.
What does a score of 4 in the “motor response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient withdraws from a painful/pressure stimulus.
What does a score of 3 in the “motor response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is exhibiting abnormal flexion i.e. decorticate posturing.
What does a score of 2 in the “motor response” category of the GCS indicate?
That the patient is exhibiting abnormal extension i.e. decerebrate posturing.
