The Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale

The Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale (BrE) (also known as Pediatric Glasgow Coma Score (AmE) or simply PGCS) is the equivalent of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) used to assess the level of consciousness of child patients.

As many of the assessments for an adult patient would not be appropriate for infants, the Glascow Coma Scale was modified slightly to form the PGCS. As with the GCS, the PGCS comprises three tests:

• eye, 
• verbal and 
• motor responses. 

The three values separately as well as their sum are considered.

The lowest possible PGCS (the sum) is 3 (deep coma or death) whilst the highest is 15 (fully awake and aware person). The pediatric GCS is commonly used in emergency medical services.

Best Eye Response (E)

Score 4.
Eyes opening spontaneously

Score 3.
Eye opening to speech

Score 2.
Eye opening to pain

Score 1.
No eye opening or response

Best Verbal Response (V)

Score 5.
Smiles, oriented to sounds, follows objects, interacts.

Score 4.
Cries but consolable, inappropriate interactions.

Score 3.
Inconsistently inconsolable, moaning.

Score 2.
Inconsolable, agitated.

Score 1.
No verbal response.

Best Motor Response (M)

Score 6.
Infant moves spontaneously or purposefully

Score 5.
Infant withdraws from touch

Score 4.
Infant withdraws from pain

Score 3.
Abnormal flexion to pain for an infant (decorticate response)

Score 2.
Extension to pain (decerebrate response)

Score 1.
No motor response

Any combined score of less than eight represents a significant risk of mortality.

REFERENCES

Merck Manual.
Modified Glasgow Coma Scale for Infants and Children.

Retrieved2008-05-03.

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