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Eye + Verbal + Motor
3–15
Interpret results together with the patient's clinical presentation.
Specialty
Emergency MedicineCategory
EmergencyDifficulty
Basic
Estimated Time
30 seconds
Version
1.0
Last Updated
2026-08-06
Formula
Keywords
Normal Range
3–15
Provides a standardized measure of the level of consciousness based on eye, verbal, and motor responses, widely used in trauma, neurology, and critical care.
GCS 13–15 is generally considered mild impairment, 9–12 moderate, and ≤ 8 severe. A GCS ≤ 8 is commonly used as a threshold for consideration of airway protection. Scores must be interpreted in the context of sedation, intoxication, and baseline neurologic status, and pediatric verbal scoring differs for pre-verbal children.
The Glasgow Coma Scale is one of the most widely used clinical scales; it standardizes communication about the level of consciousness and correlates with outcome after traumatic brain injury.
A 40-year-old man after a fall opens his eyes to speech, is confused in conversation, and localizes to pain.
Inputs:
GCS = 3 + 4 + 5 = 12, indicating moderate impairment (9–12 range). Serial reassessment is warranted.
GCS 13–15 indicates mild impairment, 9–12 moderate, and 8 or below severe. A GCS of 8 or less is commonly used as a threshold to consider airway protection (intubation).
For pre-verbal children, the verbal component is replaced with an age-appropriate scale (e.g., crying, inconsolable, irritable, cooing, oriented). The eye and motor components remain the same as the adult scale.
A single GCS score is a snapshot. A fall of 2 or more points over time indicates neurologic deterioration and is clinically significant. Serial assessments are more informative than any single measurement.
Yes. Sedation, paralysis, and intubation confound the verbal and sometimes motor components. In these cases, document a modified GCS with the specific components scored, and note the confounding factor.
Disclaimer: This calculator is intended for educational and clinical decision support purposes only. The GCS is one component of neurologic assessment and must be interpreted alongside the full clinical picture.