What is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)?
“The Glasgow Coma Scale is a tool that healthcare providers use to measure decreases in consciousness. The scores from each section of the scale are useful for describing disruptions in nervous system function and also help providers track changes. It’s the most widely used tool for measuring comas and decreases in consciousness.” (Professional, 2023).
The scale evaluates patients based on three components of responsiveness: their eye-opening, motor response, and verbal response. Having EMS identify each of these elements individually offers a comprehensive and easily communicable assessment of a patient’s condition to the hospital.
Why is it called the GCS?
“The Glasgow Coma Scale was first published in 1974 at the University of Glasgow by neurosurgery professors Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett” (Jain and Iverson, 2023).
Review the GCS Education Video
References
Jain, S., & Iverson, L. M. (2023). Glasgow Coma Scale. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Professional, C. C. medical (Ed.). (2023, March 26). The Glasgow Coma Scale and how experts use it. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/24848-glasgow-coma-scale-gcs
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