Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow Scale GCS
The Glasgow Com Scale or GCS, sometimes also known as the Glasgow Coma Score
which aims to give a reliable, objective way of recording the conscious state of a person, for initial as well as continuing assessment. A patient is assessed against the criteria of the scale, and the resulting points give a patient score between 3 (indicating deep unconsciousness) and either 14 (original scale) or 15 (the more widely used) modified
GCS was initially used to assess level of consciousness after head injury, and the scale is now used by first aid, EMS and doctors as being applicable to all acute medical and trauma patients. In hospital it is also used in chronic patient monitoring, for instance, intensive care.
The scale comprises three tests: eye, verbal and motor responses. The three
The scale is composed of three tests: eye, verbal and motor responses. The three values separately as well as their sum are considered. The lowest possible GCS (the sum) is 3 (deep coma or death), while the highest is 15 (fully awake person).
Eye response (E)
There are four grades starting with the most severe:
1. No eye opening
2. Eye opening in response to pain stimulus. (a peripheral pain stimulus, such as squeezing the lunula area of the patient s fingernail is more effective than a central stimulus such as a trapezius squeeze, due to a grimacing effect).[1]
3. Eye opening to speech. (Not to be confused with the awakening of a sleeping person; such patients receive a score of 4, not 3.)
4. Eyes opening spontaneously