Using the Glasgow Coma Scale

• The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to assess the level of consciousness in people who have received a head injury. People are scored according to their best eye, verbal, and motor responses, with the lowest possible score being 3 (deep coma or death), and the highest being 15 (fully awake).
• The person's Glasgow Coma Scale score should be fully documented, with the individual scores for best eye, verbal, and motor responses stated; for example, a person with a best score of 4 for eye response, 5 for verbal response, and 5 for motor response should be recorded as E4, V5, M5 and the total cumulative Glasgow Coma Score given with the denominator (15) always included, for example a score of 14/15.

Glasgow Coma Scale for adults and verbal children (usually 5 years of age and older)

• Best eye response — does not open eyes, score 1; opens eyes in response to painful stimuli, score 2; opens eyes in response to voice, score 3; opens eyes spontaneously, score 4.
• Best verbal response — makes no sounds, score 1; incomprehensible sounds, score 2; inappropriate words, score 3; confused and disorientated, score 4; orientated and converses normally, score 5.
• Best motor response — makes no movement in response to pain, score 1; extension in response to painful stimuli, score 2; abnormal flexion in response to painful stimuli, score 3; flexion or withdrawal in response to painful stimuli, score 4; localizes painful stimuli, score 5; obeys simple commands, score 6.

Glasgow Coma Scale for preverbal children (usually less than 5 years of age)

• Best eye response — no eye opening, score 1; eyes open in response to pain, score 2; eyes open in response to voice, score 3; eyes open spontaneously, score 4.
• Best verbal response — no vocal response, score 1; inconsolable or agitated, score 2; inconsistently consolable or moaning, score 3; cries but is consolable or inappropriate interactions, score 4; smiles and orients to sounds, follows objects, and interacts, score 5.
• Best motor response — no motor response to pain, score 1; extension in response to pain, score 2; flexion in response to pain, score 3; withdrawal from pain, score 4; localizing touch, score 5; spontaneous purposeful movement or obeys simple commands, score 6.