Question:medium
Calculate the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of a 25-year-old head injury patient with the following parameters: confused, opening eyes in response to pain, and localizing pain.
Calculate the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of a 25-year-old head injury patient with the following parameters: confused, opening eyes in response to pain, and localizing pain.
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Score E (eyes), V (verbal), M (motor) separately, then add: eyes to pain = 2, confused = 4, localizing = 5.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- 6
- 11
- 12
- 7
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Recall the GCS breakdown by category. Motor response is the most heavily weighted at up to 6 points, verbal up to 5, and eye opening up to 4, summing to a maximum of 15.
Step 2: Translate each clinical descriptor into its point value. "Opening eyes to pain" sits one step above no response, so it scores 2 of 4. "Confused" speech means the patient talks but is disoriented, scoring 4 of 5. "Localizing pain" means the hand moves toward and tries to remove the stimulus, the second-highest motor grade at 5 of 6.
Step 3: Combine the three values: $2 + 4 + 5 = 11$.
Step 4: A GCS of 11 places the patient in the moderate injury band (9-12), guiding observation and imaging decisions. The other choices come from shifting any single component up or down a grade, which does not fit the stated findings.
\[\boxed{11}\]
Step 2: Translate each clinical descriptor into its point value. "Opening eyes to pain" sits one step above no response, so it scores 2 of 4. "Confused" speech means the patient talks but is disoriented, scoring 4 of 5. "Localizing pain" means the hand moves toward and tries to remove the stimulus, the second-highest motor grade at 5 of 6.
Step 3: Combine the three values: $2 + 4 + 5 = 11$.
Step 4: A GCS of 11 places the patient in the moderate injury band (9-12), guiding observation and imaging decisions. The other choices come from shifting any single component up or down a grade, which does not fit the stated findings.
\[\boxed{11}\]
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