Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale

The Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale or Pediatric Glasgow Coma Score (PGCS) is the equivalent of the Glasgow Coma Scale and is use to  assess the consciousness of infants and children.

Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale is used in cases of head injury of children mostly.

The scale has been modified from original Glasgow coma scale as s many of the assessments for an adult patient would not be appropriate for infants and young children.

The Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale comprises of three tests: eye, verbal and motor responses as in Glasgow coma scale(GCS).

Best eye response: (E)

4. Eyes opening spontaneously
3. Eye opening to speech
2. Eye opening to pain
1. No eye opening

Best verbal response: (V)

Main difference from adult Glasgow coma scale comes in the verbal response. Here the responses are different age wise

Age 0-23 Months

5. Infant coos or babbles or smiles appropriately (normal activity)

4. Infant cries but consolale

3. Persistent crying and or screaming

2. Infant moans to pain, grunts, agitated and restless

1. No verbal response

Age 2-5Years

5. Appropriate words or phrases

4. Inappropriate words

3. Persistent Cries or screams

2. Grunts

1. No response

Age> 5 Years

5. Oriented

4. Disoriented, confused

3. Inappropriate words

2. Incomprehensible sounds

1. No response

In children greater than 5 years of age, the responses are similar to adult Glasgow Coma Scale.

Best motor responses: (M)

6. Infant moves spontaneously or purposefully
5. Infant withdraws from touch
4. Infant withdraws from pain
3. Abnormal flexion to pain for an infant (decorticate response)
2. Extension to pain (decerebrate response)
1. No motor response

Interpretation of Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale 

A Coma Score of 13 or higher correlates with a mild brain injury, 9 to 12 is a moderate injury and 8 or less a severe brain injury. Any combined score of less than eight represents a significant risk of mortality.

In writing the score, along with total score individual components are also mentioned. For example E3V3M5, GCS 11.