What is a bad GCS score?

Every brain injury is different, but generally, brain injury is classified as: Severe: GCS 8 or less. Moderate: GCS 9-12. Mild: GCS 13-15.

The GCS is the summation of scores for eye, verbal, and motor responses. The minimum score is a 3 which indicates deep coma or a brain-dead state. The maximum is 15 which indicates a fully awake patient (the original maximum was 14, but the score has since been modified).

Although the presence of fixed, dilated pupils in association with a GCS score of 3 has led to a 100% mortality rate in a number of studies,9,13 our findings show that survival and even good outcome (although very rare) are still possible.

Patients with head injury with low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores on hospital admission have a poor prognosis. A GCS score of 3 is the lowest possible score and is associated with an extremely high mortality rate, with some researchers suggesting that there is no chance of survival.

4 The survival rate after a TBI, severe enough to cause deep coma and low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, is generally poor, even in young adults. Studies show a very high overall mortality, ranging between 76% and 89%. 5, 6, 7 Of the surviving patients, only very few recover to a good outcome.

A normal GCS score is equal to 15, which indicates a person is fully conscious.

The lowest score for each category is 1, therefore the lowest score is 3 (no response to pain + no verbalisation + no eye opening). A GCS of 8 or less indicates severe injury, one of 9-12 moderate injury, and a GCS score of 13-15 is obtained when the injury is minor.

By convention, mild TBI is defined by a GCS score of 13 to 15, moderate by 9 to 12, and severe by 8 or less. A patient with a GCS score of 13 to 15 but having an intracranial lesion may be classified as having a complicated mild TBI or even a moderate TBI.

Classification of Severity of TBI The relationship between the GCS Score and outcome l is the basis for a common classification of acute traumatic brain injury: Severe, GCS 3 to 8. Moderate, GCS 9 to 12. Mild, GCS 13 to 15.

Contact the medical officer if there is any deterioration in the scores. Any drop in GCS requires urgent medical review. A MET call should be activated if there is a drop in the total GCS of 2 or more. The pupils are assessed as part of neurological observations.

In intubated patients, the maximum GCS score is 10T and the minimum score is 2T. The GCS is often used to help define the severity of TBI. Mild head injuries are generally defined as those associated with a GCS score of 13-15, and moderate head injuries are those associated with a GCS score of 9-12.

Stage 3: Agitated and confused At this stage the patient is responding more consistently. The patient will be confused about where he or she is and what has happened. The patient will have difficulty with memory and behavior.

Yes, coma patients have bowel movements. Because people in a coma can’t express themselves, doctors must rely on physical clues and information provided by families and friends. First, doctors ensure that the patient isn’t in immediate danger of dying.

People who do wake up from a coma usually come round gradually. They may be very agitated and confused to begin with. Some people will make a full recovery and be completely unaffected by the coma. Others will have disabilities caused by the damage to their brain.