Glasgow coma scale in the context of "Altered level of consciousness"

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⭐ Core Definition: Glasgow coma scale

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a clinical diagnostic tool widely used since the 1970s to roughly assess an injured person's level of brain damage. The GCS diagnosis is based on a patient's ability to respond and interact with three kinds of behaviour: eye movements, speech, and other body motions. A GCS score can range from 3 (completely unresponsive) to 15 (responsive). An initial score is used to guide immediate medical care after traumatic brain injury (such as a car accident) and a post-treatment score can monitor hospitalised patients and track their recovery.

Lower GCS scores are correlated with higher risk of death. However, the GCS score alone should not be used on its own to predict the outcome for an individual person with brain injury.

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👉 Glasgow coma scale in the context of Altered level of consciousness

An altered level of consciousness is any measure of arousal other than normal. Level of consciousness (LOC) is a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment. A mildly depressed level of consciousness or alertness may be classed as lethargy; someone in this state can be aroused with little difficulty. People who are obtunded have a more depressed level of consciousness and cannot be fully aroused. Those who are not able to be aroused from a sleep-like state are said to be stuporous. Coma is the inability to make any purposeful response. Scales such as the Glasgow coma scale have been designed to measure the level of consciousness.

An altered level of consciousness can result from a variety of factors, including alterations in the chemical environment of the brain (e.g. exposure to poisons or intoxicants), insufficient oxygen or blood flow in the brain, and excessive pressure within the skull. Prolonged unconsciousness is understood to be a sign of a medical emergency. A deficit in the level of consciousness suggests that both of the cerebral hemispheres or the reticular activating system have been injured. A decreased level of consciousness correlates to increased morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death). Thus it is a valuable measure of a patient's medical and neurological status. In fact, some sources consider level of consciousness to be one of the vital signs.

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Glasgow coma scale in the context of Concussion

A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief period of memory loss, brief loss of consciousness, problems with balance, nausea, blurred vision, and mood changes. Concussion should be suspected if a person indirectly or directly hits their head and experiences any of the symptoms of concussion. Signs and symptoms of a concussion usually occur within minutes to hours of the injury, usually within 72 hours. However, symptoms may be delayed by 1–2 days after the accident. It is not unusual for symptoms to last 2 weeks in adults and 4 weeks in children. Symptoms of a concussion may make it difficult to return to work, school, sports (in cases of sports related concussions) or prior level of functioning, with disability usually lasting days to weeks. Fewer than 10% of sports-related concussions among children are associated with loss of consciousness.

Common causes include motor vehicle collisions, falls, sports injuries, and bicycle accidents. Risk factors include physical violence, drinking alcohol and a prior history of concussion. The mechanism of injury involves either a direct blow to the head or forces elsewhere on the body that are transmitted to the head. This is believed to result in neuron dysfunction, as there are increased glucose requirements, but not enough blood supply. A thorough evaluation by a qualified medical provider working in their scope of practice (such as a physician or nurse practitioner) is required to rule out life-threatening head injuries, injuries to the cervical spine, and neurological conditions and to use information obtained from the medical evaluation to diagnose a concussion. Glasgow coma scale score 13 to 15, loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes, and memory loss for less than 24 hours may be used to rule out moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries. Diagnostic imaging such as a CT scan or an MRI may be required to rule out severe head injuries. Routine imaging is not required to diagnose concussion and is, by definition, normal after concussions.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Altered level of consciousness ← Concussion ← Decreased level of consciousness ← Mild traumatic brain injury
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Coma → Brain Injury → Traumatic brain injury →