Glascoma Scale

Question 1

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale used for?

Answer 1

To assess the level of consciousness in patients with acute brain injury.

Question 2

What are the three components of GCS?

Answer 2

Eye opening, verbal response, and motor response.

Question 3

What is the range of total GCS scores?

Answer 3

3 (deep coma) to 15 (fully awake).

Question 4

How is eye opening scored?

Answer 4

• 4: Spontaneous
• 3: To speech
• 2: To pain
• 1: None

Question 5

How is verbal response scored?

Answer 5

• 5: Oriented
• 4: Confused conversation
• 3: Inappropriate words
• 2: Incomprehensible sounds
• 1: None

Question 6

How is motor response scored?

Answer 6

• 6: Obeys commands
• 5: Localizes pain
• 4: Withdraws from pain
• 3: Flexion to pain (decorticate)
• 2: Extension to pain (decerebrate)
• 1: None

Question 7

What is considered mild, moderate, and severe TBI by GCS?

Answer 7

• Mild: 13–15
• Moderate: 9–12
• Severe: ≤8

Question 8

Why is GCS important after resuscitation?

Answer 8

Predicts prognosis and guides management.

Question 9

Why is the motor score in GCS important?

Answer 9

It has major prognostic implications and helps guide neurological decision-making.

Question 10

What is the key difference between M4 and M5?

Answer 10

M5 indicates purposeful movement above the level of the jaw; M4 is just withdrawal from pain. M5 carries a much better prognosis than M4.

Question 11

How is M5 scored?

Answer 11

• Patient reaches purposefully with the arm/hand toward the stimulus (e.g., grabs or pushes clinician’s hand away)
• Moves hand/arm above the level of the jaw in response to a noxious stimulus (e.g., supraorbital pressure)

Question 12

Why must M5 be distinguished from M4?

Answer 12

Because M4 (withdrawal from pain) does not indicate purposeful movement, and the prognosis is significantly worse.

Question 13

How does M5 influence clinical decisions in TBI?

Answer 13

Helps predict better recovery and informs management strategies, especially in severe TBI.