GCS Calculator - Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow Coma Scale, or GCS, is a structured method for describing a person's level of consciousness. It records the best observed response in three domains: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. The components were designed to improve communication and repeated observation, especially after acute brain injury. A total is convenient, but the three component values carry important information and should be documented alongside the sum. Eye opening is scored from one through four. Spontaneous opening receives four, opening to sound three, opening to pressure two, and no opening one. Verbal response is scored from one through five, ranging from no response to oriented conversation. Motor response is scored from one through six, ranging from no response to obeying commands. Adding the best responses gives a total between three and 15. Totals are often grouped for broad communication. Scores of 13 through 15 are commonly described as mild or no impairment, nine through 12 as moderate, and eight or less as severe. These labels do not by themselves diagnose an injury or determine treatment. A declining score, an abnormal component, airway risk, pupils, focal neurological signs, vital signs, mechanism of injury, intoxication, sedation, paralysis, language barriers, hearing impairment, and baseline disability all affect interpretation. Some responses may be untestable. An endotracheal tube can prevent verbal assessment, swelling can prevent eye opening, and medication or spinal injury can alter motor response. Clinicians should document the reason rather than inventing a normal or minimum value. Local protocols may use not-testable notation and require component reporting such as eye, verbal, and motor values in addition to the total. The GCS is most useful as part of serial assessment performed consistently by trained observers. Trends may reveal improvement or deterioration that one isolated total cannot show. Any sudden change in consciousness is a medical emergency requiring prompt evaluation. This calculator only adds selected component scores and displays a conventional severity band. It cannot assess the patient, protect an airway, identify the cause, or substitute for emergency care. If someone is difficult to wake, confused after injury, having a seizure, or showing new neurological symptoms, contact emergency services immediately.