Glasgow Coma Scale calculator

The Glasgow Coma Scale describes level of consciousness from three responses: eye opening (1–4), verbal (1–5) and motor (1–6).

What goes into the Glasgow Coma Scale

Eye opening: Spontaneous (4); To voice (3); To pressure (2); None (1)
Verbal response: Oriented (5); Confused (4); Words (3); Sounds (2); None (1)
Motor response: Obeys commands (6); Localizes (5); Normal flexion (withdraws) (4); Abnormal flexion (3); Extension (2); None (1)

How to interpret the result

13–15: mild impairment
9–12: moderate impairment
≤ 8: severe impairment; assess airway protection

Clinical pearls

Report the components (e.g., E2 V3 M5); the same total can mean very different things.
The motor score carries the most prognostic information.
GCS ≤ 8 is a prompt to assess the airway, not an automatic indication for intubation (e.g., opioid toxicity reverses with naloxone).

Evidence

Teasdale G, Jennett B. Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness. A practical scale. Lancet. 1974;2:81-84.

Related workups

First seizure and status epilepticus Opioid overdose and opioid use disorder Bacterial meningitis Acute ischemic stroke and TIA Delirium / acute confusion

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For education only. Check the inputs and the population the score was validated in before acting on it. Not a substitute for clinical judgment.