Glasgow Coma Scale
This is the total possible highest score on the GCS.
What is 15?
A man falls off a ladder and lands on his feet. He’s complaining of lower back pain and numbness in his legs.
What is spinal trauma or vertebral compression fracture?
Adult walking around with a bleeding arm wound.
✅ Green (Minor)
A confused patient is sweating, shaking, and slurring their words. Blood sugar reads 48 mg/dL.
What is oral glucose (if able to swallow safely)?
A 71 y/o male is semiconscious following a sudden, severe headache. There is vomitus on his face, and his respirations are slow and shallow. What is your first move?
What is suction?
You give this score if the patient makes incomprehensible sounds.
What is 2?
A woman has blistered skin over both arms and her upper chest after a kitchen fire.
What is 18% (each arm = 9%, chest = 9%)?
Unresponsive patient not breathing after repositioning airway.
Black (Deceased)
An elderly woman has facial droop, slurred speech, and left arm weakness. Last seen normal 30 minutes ago.
What is rapid transport to a stroke center (with stroke alert)?
An O2 cylinder should be taken out of service and refilled when the pressure inside it is less than
500 psi
A patient doesn’t respond to voice or pain, makes no sounds, and shows no motor response. What's their GCS?
What is 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 (the lowest possible score)?
A patient hit by a car is pale, cool, and has a heart rate of 130. He is alert but dizzy.
What is internal hemorrhage (possibly pelvic or abdominal)?
Child crying with a broken arm and good perfusion.
Yellow (Delayed)
A man stung by a bee is wheezing, has hives, and BP is 80/40.
What is epinephrine via auto-injector (0.3 mg adult), then high-flow oxygen and rapid transport?
High-flow oxygen with a nasal cannula during the preoxygenation phase of endotracheal intubation is...
What is Apenic oxygenation?
A patient opens their eyes to voice, uses inappropriate words, and pulls away when pinched. What's their GCS?
What is 3 (eyes) + 3 (verbal) + 4 (motor) = 10?
A man involved in a high-speed rollover is walking around at the scene. He has neck pain but insists he’s fine.
What is immobilize the spine and transport for evaluation?
Man with no radial pulse, breathing 40/min, unable to follow commands.
Red (Immediate)
A patient with a history of smoking presents with wheezing, barrel chest, and pursed-lip breathing.
What is COPD?
Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing, followed by periods of apnea are...
What are Cheyne-Stokes respirations?
Your patient was found unconscious. They do not open their eyes, make only garbled moans, and have decerebrate posturing (arms extended abnormally) to pain.
What is 5?
A conscious trauma patient has a deformed, shortened leg and severe thigh pain after a fall.
What is a traction splint?
Woman sitting with open leg fracture, RR 24, alert.
Yellow (Delayed)
A teenager says, “I just want to die” and has superficial cuts on both wrists. She is crying but alert.
What is ensure scene safety, provide supportive care, and transport for evaluation (never leave them alone)?
Cellular tissue damage occurs from excessive oxygen levels in the blood
What is oxygen toxicity?