Using glassgow coma scale what score is given to patient for eye opening to verbal command?

Appeared in: UPPSC 2022

Explanation

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a standardized tool for assessing a patient's level of consciousness.
The scale is divided into three components: Eye Opening (E), Verbal Response (V), and Motor Response (M).
Within the Eye Opening component, a score of 3 is specifically assigned when a patient opens their eyes in response to a verbal stimulus, such as speech or a direct command.
This response indicates a higher level of arousal than responding only to pain but is less than spontaneous eye opening.

Option A: A score of 4 is incorrect. This is the highest score for eye opening and is given for spontaneous eye opening, meaning the patient's eyes are open without any external stimulus.
Option B: A score of 2 is incorrect. This score is assigned when the patient's eyes open only in response to a painful stimulus, such as pressure on a nail bed.
Option C: A score of 1 is incorrect. This is the lowest score and indicates no eye-opening response at all, even when both verbal and painful stimuli are applied.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) assessment to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses perform GCS assessments frequently on at-risk patients (e.g., post-head injury, stroke, or in critical care) to monitor for subtle or rapid changes in neurological status.
A decrease in the GCS score, even by one point, is a clinically significant finding that may indicate worsening brain function (e.g., due to swelling or bleeding) and requires prompt reporting to the medical team.
What if? The patient is intubated and cannot speak. In this scenario, the verbal response cannot be assessed. The score is documented with a 'T' (e.g., E4 M6 VT). The total GCS score is not calculated, but the eye and motor scores remain critical for monitoring the patient's neurological trend.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key clinical tool mentioned in the question, which is the 'Glasgow Coma Scale' (GCS).
Next, isolate the specific component being assessed, which is 'eye opening'.
Then, note the type of stimulus applied, which is a 'verbal command'.
Mentally recall or visualize the scoring for the GCS eye-opening response: 4 for Spontaneous, 3 for Speech, 2 for Pain, and 1 for None.
Match the stimulus ('verbal command' or speech) to its corresponding score, which is 3.
Finally, select the option that matches this score.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q2YlsYrFnT27wLpo09QJFR

E6 Guide to Mental Health & PSYCHIATRIC NURSING R Sreevani— Part 2 (pp 290-564 of 579) p. 196-198

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 412-414

Practise the full UPPSC 2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.