Which statement best describes the Glasgow Coma Scale components in the example?

Which statement best describes the Glasgow Coma Scale components in the example?

• A. Eye opening none; Verbal none; Motor localizes to painful stimuli
• B. Eye opening none; Verbal none; Motor obeys commands
• C. Eye opening to pain; Verbal none; Motor withdraws
• D. Eye opening none; Verbal none; Motor localizes to painful stimuli

Answer: (A)

Glasgow Coma Scale evaluates three areas: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. In this scenario, there is no eye opening, and no verbal response, which both correspond to the lowest scores for those categories. The motor response is “localizes to painful stimuli,” meaning the patient makes a purposeful movement toward the source of pain, which is a higher motor-score description. Combined, this description matches eye opening none; verbal none; motor localizes to painful stimuli, and it gives a total GCS of 7. Other statements would imply different eye opening, verbal, or motor responses (for example, some eye opening to pain or verbal output, or a motor response like obeying commands or merely withdrawing), which do not fit the observed responses.

Glasgow Coma Scale evaluates three areas: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. In this scenario, there is no eye opening, and no verbal response, which both correspond to the lowest scores for those categories. The motor response is “localizes to painful stimuli,” meaning the patient makes a purposeful movement toward the source of pain, which is a higher motor-score description. Combined, this description matches eye opening none; verbal none; motor localizes to painful stimuli, and it gives a total GCS of 7. Other statements would imply different eye opening, verbal, or motor responses (for example, some eye opening to pain or verbal output, or a motor response like obeying commands or merely withdrawing), which do not fit the observed responses.