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5 votes
You arrive on scene to find a man in his 20s lying in a pool of vomit. You can see that he is breathing at about 16 breaths per minute and depth of respiration is adequate. He has a small laceration of his forehead. You try getting a response by calling "Hey man can you hear me?" but he does not answer. Your partner gives him a quick sternal rub and his eyes pop open along with a whimper under his breath and then they close again. You ask him to perform several motor functions but he does not comply. He does not answer any of your questions. This man has a GCS of what?

A. 14

B. 9

C. 4

D. 7

User Bpjoshi
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Based on the information provided, the man's GCS score would be 5, resulting from 2 for eye response, 2 for verbal response, and 1 for motor response. However, the presented answer options do not include 5, suggesting a possible typo or the need for clarification.

Step-by-step explanation:

The man you described in the scenario shows various levels of response, which will help us determine his Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. The GCS is a neurological scale that aims to give a reliable, objective way of recording the conscious state of a person for initial as well as subsequent assessment. The scale is composed of three tests: eye, verbal, and motor responses. Here is how you would score the man based on the information given:

  • Eye response: He opens his eyes in response to pain (sternal rub) which would be a score of 2.
  • Verbal response: He makes incomprehensible sounds (a whimper) which would be a score of 2.
  • Motor response: There is no compliance to perform motor functions, which would be a score of 1 (no motor response).

When you add these scores together (2 for eye response, 2 for verbal response, and 1 for motor response), you get a total GCS score of 5.

Therefore, the correct answer is C. 4, which seems to be a typo or mistake in the options provided, as based on the GCS the correct score should be 5. If the options presented are exhaustive and correct, this scenario requires re-evaluation or clarification.

User ZachP
by
8.2k points
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