Glasgow Coma Scale
Also written as: GCS — Glasgow Coma Scale
A standardized tool for assessing level of consciousness following brain injury.
Full Definition
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a neurological scale used to assess and monitor the level of consciousness in patients with acute brain injury or altered mental status. It evaluates three components: eye opening response (1-4 points), verbal response (1-5 points), and motor response (1-6 points), with total scores ranging from 3 to 15. In neuropsychological contexts, initial GCS scores help predict cognitive outcomes and guide rehabilitation planning, with scores of 13-15 indicating mild injury, 9-12 moderate injury, and 3-8 severe injury.
Usage
Usage note: Always report total score and component scores; note timing relative to injury and any confounding factors.
In Context
- "The patient's initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 7 indicated severe traumatic brain injury requiring intensive neurological monitoring." — Emergency medical documentation
- "Glasgow Coma Scale scores improved from 8 to 13 over the first week, suggesting gradual recovery of consciousness and better prognosis for cognitive rehabilitation." — Acute care progress notes