In the context of assessing consciousness using the Glasgow Coma Scale, if your patient opens his eyes, moans, and pulls away from you, which of the following best describes his level of responsiveness?

• A. He is demonstrating a response consistent with a score of 8 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, indicating severe impairment.
• B. He is in a deep coma with no response to pain.
• C. He is experiencing a mild concussion with no significant impairment.
• D. He is fully alert and oriented, indicating normal consciousness.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) components. The GCS assesses consciousness based on three responses: Eye Opening (E), Verbal Response (V), and Motor Response (M). Each component has a specific scoring range.
2. Step 2: Identify the patient's responses and match them to the GCS categories. The patient opens his eyes (Eye Opening), moans (Verbal Response), and pulls away from pain (Motor Response).
3. Step 3: Assign scores to each response based on the GCS criteria: Eye Opening to speech or pain, Verbal Response as incomprehensible sounds (moaning), and Motor Response as withdrawal from pain.
4. Step 4: Sum the individual scores from Eye Opening, Verbal Response, and Motor Response to get the total GCS score.
5. Step 5: Interpret the total score. A score of 8 or below indicates severe impairment or coma, which aligns with the patient's described responses.