Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow Coma Scale is a neurological scale which seems to give a reliable, objective way of recording the conscious state of a person, for initial as well as continuing assessment. A patient is assessed against the criteria of the scale, and the resulting points give the Glasgow Coma Score (or GCS). It has value in predicting ultimate outcome.

Initially used to assess level of consciousness after head trauma, the scale is actually applied to different situations. The scale was published in 1974 by Graham Teasdale and Bryan J. Jennett, professors of neurosurgery at the University of Glasgow. The pair went on to author the textbook Management of Head Injuries (FA Davis 1981, ISBN 0-8036-5019-1), a celebrated work in the field.

GCS is used as part of several ICU scoring systems, including APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA, as a contribution for the status of the central nervous system. A similar scale, the Rancho Los Amigos Scale is used to assess the recovery of head injury patients.