Which statement about the Glasgow Coma Scale is correct?

Which statement about the Glasgow Coma Scale is correct?

• A. GCS includes eye opening, verbal, and motor responses.
• B. GCS evaluates eye, verbal, and motor responses.
• C. GCS measures respiratory effort.
• D. GCS is not used in adults.

Answer: (B)

The Glasgow Coma Scale measures level of consciousness by three domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. This framework is used to quickly gauge how conscious a patient is and to monitor changes over time. The statement that it evaluates eye, verbal, and motor responses is the precise way clinicians describe how the scale works, since each domain is scored separately and then summed for an overall score (3 to 15, with higher numbers indicating better function). It does not assess respiratory effort, and while the scale is widely used in adults, there are pediatric adaptations for children.

The Glasgow Coma Scale measures level of consciousness by three domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. This framework is used to quickly gauge how conscious a patient is and to monitor changes over time. The statement that it evaluates eye, verbal, and motor responses is the precise way clinicians describe how the scale works, since each domain is scored separately and then summed for an overall score (3 to 15, with higher numbers indicating better function). It does not assess respiratory effort, and while the scale is widely used in adults, there are pediatric adaptations for children.