Glasgow Coma Scale

Introduction

My Recorded GCS Values

The following GCS values were obtained from a neuropsychologist’s report, which contained a consolidation of all my hospital records.

DATE	GCS VALUE
31st July 2015	3
1st August	3
2nd August	3
3rd August	3
15th August	3
22nd August	5
27th August	7
29th August	11
31st August	10
4th September	11
9th September	8
12th September	14
24th September	14

​Anecdote: After my mother suffered heart attack symptoms in 2018, I accompanied her on the ambulance journey to hospital. I enquired of GCS 3 during conversation with the paramedics, they casually said something along the lines of “it basically means you’re dead.”

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GCS Scoring System

GCS uses a triple criteria scoring system: best eye opening (maximum 4 points), best verbal response (maximum 5 points), and best motor response (maximum 6 points). These scores are added together to provide a total score between 3 (most severe) and 15 (normal).

Eye Response

CRITERION	RATING	SCORE
Open before stimulus	Spontaneous	4
After spoken or shouted request	To sound	3
After fingertip stimulus	To pressure	2
No opening at any time, no interfering factor	None	1

Verbal Response

CRITERION	RATING	SCORE
Correctly gives name, place and date	Orientated	5
Not orientated, but communication coherently	Confused	4
Intelligible single words	Words	3
Only moans / groans	Sound	2
No audible response, no interfering factor	None	1

Motor Response

CRITERION	RATING	SCORE
Obey two-part request	Obeys commands	6
Brings hand above clavicle to stimulus on head neck	Localising	5
Bends arm at elbow rapidly, but features not predominantly abnormal	Normal flexion	4
Bends arm at elbow, features clearly predominantly abnormal	Abnormal flexion	3
Extends arm at elbow	Extension	2
No movement in arms / legs, no interfering factor	None	1