Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator Online

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a crucial tool used in the medical field to assess a patient’s level of consciousness and neurological functioning. It assigns a score based on a patient’s responses in three key areas: Eye Opening (E), Verbal Response (V), and Motor Response (M). 

Formula of Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator

The GCS is calculated using the following formula:

GCS = Eye Opening Score + Verbal Response Score + Motor Response Score

• Eye Opening (E): This component assesses a patient’s ability to open their eyes and is scored on a scale of 1 to 4:
  • 4: Spontaneously
  • 3: In response to verbal stimuli (e.g., calling the patient’s name)
  • 2: In response to pain stimuli (e.g., applying pressure to the patient’s nail bed)
  • 1: No response (even to pain)
• Verbal Response (V): This component evaluates a patient’s verbal interaction and is scored on a scale of 1 to 5:
  • 5: Oriented and converses normally
  • 4: Confused, but can answer questions coherently
  • 3: Inappropriate words or phrases, but can utter some recognizable words
  • 2: Incomprehensible sounds (moaning, grunting, etc.)
  • 1: No verbal response
• Motor Response (M): This component gauges a patient’s motor reactions and is scored on a scale of 1 to 6:
  • 6: Obeys commands (e.g., “squeeze my hand” or “lift your leg”)
  • 5: Localizes to painful stimuli (responds purposefully but not necessarily following commands)
  • 4: Withdraws from painful stimuli (pulls away from pain)
  • 3: Abnormal flexion (decorticate posturing) in response to pain
  • 2: Abnormal extension (decerebrate posturing) in response to pain
  • 1: No motor response

After summing up these scores, the following table is used to categorize the patient’s condition:

• GCS 13-15: Mild neurological impairment or minimal brain injury
• GCS 9-12: Moderate neurological impairment or moderate brain injury
• GCS 3-8: Severe neurological impairment or severe brain injury

GCS Calculator and General Terms

Here’s a table of common terms associated with the Glasgow Coma Scale:

Term	Description
GCS	Glasgow Coma Scale
E, V, M	Eye Opening, Verbal Response, Motor Response
Spontaneously	Opening eyes without external stimuli
Oriented	Being fully aware and responsive
Comatose	A deep state of unconsciousness
Neurological	Pertaining to the nervous system

Example of Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator

Let’s walk through an example of how the Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator works:

Suppose a patient spontaneously opens their eyes (E=4), responds with inappropriate words (V=3), and withdraws from painful stimuli (M=4). Using the formula:

GCS = E + V + M

GCS = 4 + 3 + 4 = 11

Based on the calculated GCS score of 11, we categorize this patient’s condition as “Moderate neurological impairment or moderate brain injury.”

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