Question

A seven year old male who fell from the top of a jungle gym is awake and neurologically intact in all four extremities. When you ask what happens, he tells you he fell and then he tells you about his dog. What is his Glasgow Coma score a. 13 b. 14 c. 12 d. 15

Answer 1

The Glasgow Coma Score of the seven-year-old male who fell from the jungle gym and is awake, neurologically intact in all four extremities, and able to communicate about his fall and his dog is 14. Thus option B is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) assesses a patient's level of consciousness based on eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. In this scenario, the child is awake and responsive, indicating an eye-opening score of 4. He is able to communicate coherently about his fall and his dog, suggesting a verbal response score of 5. Since he is neurologically intact in all extremities, demonstrating purposeful movement and interaction, the motor response score is 5. Calculating the GCS by adding these scores together (4 + 5 + 5) yields a total score of 14.

The GCS ranges from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating a higher level of consciousness. A score of 14 signifies a patient who is mostly oriented and responsive but may have minor deficits or confusion. In this case, the child's ability to recount events and engage in coherent conversation after the fall suggests a relatively intact neurological status despite the accident.

Understanding the significance of the Glasgow Coma Score aids medical professionals in quickly assessing a patient's level of consciousness and determining the severity of neurological impairment. In this instance, the child's GCS of 14 indicates that while the fall occurred, he is currently alert and responsive without significant neurological compromise. It helps healthcare providers make appropriate decisions regarding further evaluation and care for the patient. Thus option B is correct.

Answer 2

b. 14 because The child's intact neurological function, coherent verbal response, and alertness yield a Glasgow Coma Score of 14, indicating no significant impairment after the fall.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) is a neurological scale used to assess a patient's level of consciousness after a head injury. It consists of three components: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. Each component is scored on a scale from 1 to 4 or 1 to 5, with a higher score indicating a better level of function.

In this case, the child is awake and neurologically intact in all four extremities. The fact that he can provide a coherent history of the fall and then transition to talking about his dog suggests that his verbal response is appropriate. Additionally, being awake and neurologically intact indicates a normal motor response. Therefore, the total GCS would be the sum of these scores, which are 4 for eye opening, 5 for verbal response, and 5 for motor response, totaling 14.

A GCS of 14 is considered a high score and indicates that the patient is alert and oriented. The child's ability to communicate effectively about the incident and his dog, coupled with intact neurological function, further supports this score. It suggests that, despite the fall, there is no significant impairment of consciousness or neurological deficits.