> Facts > Glasgow Coma Scale
The Glasgow coma scale is used to assess patients in a coma. The initial score correlates with the severity of brain injury and prognosis. 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.
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 follows:
2 to 5 Yrs |
Score |
0 TO 23 Mos. |
Score |
| Appropriate words or phrases | 5 |
Smiles or coos appropriately | 5 |
| Inappropriate words | 4 |
Cries and consolable | 4 |
| Persistent cries and/or screams | 3 |
Persistent inappropriate crying &/or screaming | 3 |
| Grunts | 2 |
Grunts or is agitated or restless | 2 |
| No response | 1 |
No response | 1 |
Glasgow coma scale = Score for eye opening + score for best verbal response + score for best motor response
Interpretation: