Gcs
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"Glasgow Coma Scale"
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Glasgow Coma Scale official scoring eye verbal motor 2026
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GCS = Glasgow Coma Scale, used to assess level of consciousness, especially after head injury.
It records three responses:
| Component | Score | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Eye opening (E) | 4 | Spontaneous |
| 3 | To sound/speech | |
| 2 | To pain/pressure | |
| 1 | None | |
| Verbal response (V) | 5 | Oriented |
| 4 | Confused conversation | |
| 3 | Inappropriate words | |
| 2 | Incomprehensible sounds | |
| 1 | None | |
| Motor response (M) | 6 | Obeys commands |
| 5 | Localizes pain | |
| 4 | Withdraws from pain | |
| 3 | Abnormal flexion | |
| 2 | Extension | |
| 1 | None |
Total score: 3 to 15
- Mild head injury: GCS 13-15
- Moderate: GCS 9-12
- Severe: GCS 3-8
Always document the components, for example GCS E3 V4 M6 = 13, rather than only stating “GCS 13.” If the patient is intubated, verbal response cannot be assessed and should be recorded as, for example, E3 Vt M6, not guessed as a numeric score.
The scale is used in traumatic brain injury and correlates with outcome, though clinical assessment must also consider sedation, intoxication, facial injury, language barriers, and intubation. Miller’s Anesthesia, 10th ed., p. 12000. The official GCS guidance emphasizes recording eye, verbal, and motor components separately.
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