


The Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale, or PGCS, a modification of the scale used on adults, is used instead. Children and the Glasgow Coma Scale The GCS is usually not used with younger children, especially those too young to have reliable language skills. These factors could lead to an inaccurate score on the GCS. Limitations of the Glasgow Coma Scale Factors like drug use, alcohol intoxication, shock, or low blood oxygen can alter a patient’s level of consciousness. Moderate and severe brain injuries often result in long-term impairments in cognition (thinking skills), physical skills, and/or emotional/behavioral functioning. Mild brain injuries can result in temporary or permanent neurological symptoms and a neuro-imaging tests such as CT scan or MRI may or may not show evidence of any damage. Severe: GCS 3-8 (You cannot score lower than a 3.).Using the Glasgow Coma Scale Every brain injury is different, but generally, brain injury is classified as: The final GCS score or grade is the sum of these numbers. 2 = decerebrate (an abnormal posture that can include rigidity, arms and legs held straight out, toes pointed downward, head and neck arched backwards)Ĭlinicians use this scale to rate the best eye opening response, the best verbal response, and the best motor response an individual makes.3 = decorticate posture (an abnormal posture that can include rigidity, clenched fists, legs held straight out, and arms bent inward toward the body with the wrists and fingers bend and held on the chest).Los Angeles, CA Region – Pediatric Hospital.Our Complex Care and Rehabilitation Professionals.The scale is from 3 (completely unresponsive) to 15 (fully alert). The score is made up of three components: eyes, verbal and motor. The advantages of the GCS scoring system are that it provides a standardised way for first aiders and first responders to communicate information about a patient’s level of consciousness. It has since been adopted worldwide for the assessment of reduced levels of consciousness. The Glasgow Coma Scale was originally developed to enable healthcare professionals to assess victims of significant head injuries. In this blog post, we’ll look at how to calculate a GCS score for a patient. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a scoring system used to assess patients with a reduced level of consciousness.
