The Glasgow Coma Scale is a means of measuring the severity of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). A series of symptoms are outlined and given a numeric score. After adding up the numeric scores of each symptom, the total score is used as an indication of how severe the brain injury is.
Eye Opening
No Opening = 1
Eyes Open To Pain = 2
Open in Response To Speech = 3
Eyes Open Spontaneously = 4
Verbal Response
No Response = 1
Response Verbally To Sounds = 2
Response Makes No Sense = 3
Response is Confused = 4
Responds with Conversation = 5
Basic Motor Response
Response to Pain Stimulus:
No Response = 1
Generalizing (abduction of arm, extension of wrist, decerebrate response) = 2
Arm Extension (adduction of arm, flexion of wrist, decorticate response) = 3
Arm Flexion (withdraws in response to pain) = 4
Localizes to Pain (purposeful movement toward pain stimuli) = 5
On Command = 6
GCS Total: 3-15
3-8 = Severe
9-12 = Moderate
13-15 = Mild
Critical Score: 8/15
Coma or Comatose = 8 or below
Emerging from Coma = above 8
GCS less than 8 at 6 hours = 50% die
GCS 3 = Deep coma, no eye opening, verbal response, nor following commands.
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