![]() ![]() The GCS is not a perfect test or predictor of severity, and certain factors can reduce its accuracy. Moderate and severe brain injuries can lead to long-term, life-changing impairments in a variety of areas, including motor and mobility skills, cognition (thinking skills), and even one's emotional and behavioral functioning. These injuries are often difficult to diagnose, and many tests used to diagnose brain injuries, such as neuro-imaging tests like CT scan or MRI, may fail to indicate any brain injury at all. Mild brain injuries, such as concussions, can cause temporary or permanent neurological symptoms. Mild brain injuries should not be discounted or ignored. However, in general, the GCS score is used to grade the severity of a brain injury as follows: For instance, a GCS score may be documented in medical records or the medical charts as GCS 9 = E4V3M2.Īs we have seen with our brain injury clients, no brain injury is insignificant, and every brain injury is different. For instance, the individual scores of a brain injury patient's GCS should be reported separately (such as, E4V3M2) as well as added together to give a total Coma Score (e.g E4V3M2 = 9). While the sum of the GCS score is important, the individual scores in each category should also be examined. This chart makes it easy to identify any improvement or worsening of a brain injury victim's condition promptly so appropriate medical action can be taken. Understanding the Glasgow Coma Scale for Brain InjuriesĪ patient's Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) should be documented and provided on a coma scale chart. The total sum of these numbers is equal to the final GCS score or grade. When administering the GCS, medical professionals will use the above scales to rate the motor response, the eye opening response, and the verbal response a brain injury victim makes. The GCS measures the following functions: Later, it can be re-administered to determine if the symptoms and severity of the injury have improved, worsened or remained stable. The GCS is typically administered by a trained medical staff person or physician either at the scene of an accident or injury or immediately thereafter at the hospital emergency room or other urgent trauma care locations. It is easy to administer, reliable and objective, and has strong correlation with potential medical outcomes after a severe brain injury. As a Kansas City brain injury lawyer, I've seen many of our law firm clients benefit from the GCS test. The GCS results help measure the severity of an acute brain injury. ![]() The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most common scoring system used by physicians in Kansas and Missouri (and pretty much everywhere) to identify the symptoms and level of impairment or consciousness of an accident victim suffering from a traumatic brain injury. ![]() ![]() How the Glasgow Coma Scale is Administered ![]()
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