How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement
© Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Table of Contents
About the Dictionary
Using the Dictionary

Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow Coma Scale provides a score in the range 3-15; patients with scores of 3-8 are usually said to be in a coma. The total score is the sum of the scores in three categories. For adults the scores are as follows:

Eye Opening Response Spontaneous--open with blinking at baseline 4 points
Opens to verbal command, speech, or shout 3 points
Opens to pain, not applied to face 2 points
None 1 point
Verbal Response Oriented 5 points
Confused conversation, but able to answer questions 4 points
Inappropriate responses, words discernible 3 points
Incomprehensible speech 2 points
None 1 point
Motor Response Obeys commands for movement 6 points
Purposeful movement to painful stimulus 5 points
Withdraws from pain 4 points
Abnormal (spastic) flexion, decorticate posture 3 points
Extensor (rigid) response, decerebrate posture 2 points
None 1 point

For children under 5, the verbal response criteria are adjusted as follow

SCORE 2 to 5 YRS 0 TO 23 Mos.
5
Appropriate words or phrases Smiles or coos appropriately
4
Inappropriate words Cries and consolable
3
Persistent cries and/or screams Persistent inappropriate crying &/or screaming
2
Grunts Grunts or is agitated or restless
1
No response No response

 

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All material in this folder is copyright © 2000 by Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Permission is granted for personal use and for use by individual teachers in conducting their own classes. All other rights reserved. You are welcome to make links to this page, but please do not copy the contents of any page in this folder to another site. The material at this site will be updated from time to time.

July 30, 2001