Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) Calculator
Score Glasgow Coma Scale from eye, verbal, and motor responses (3–15) with the conventional Mild / Moderate / Severe categorisation.
Refs: Teasdale G, Jennett B. Lancet 1974;2(7872):81–84. Teasdale et al. Lancet Neurol 2014;13(8):844–854. Categorisation: Mild 13–15, Moderate 9–12, Severe 3–8. Clinical decision support tool — confirm against patient assessment; not a substitute for clinical judgment.
General calculation reads
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About this tool
The Glasgow Coma Scale (Teasdale & Jennett, Lancet 1974) is the most widely used measure of impaired consciousness, designed for repeated bedside assessment of patients with traumatic brain injury and applicable to any altered level of consciousness. It scores three domains independently — Eye opening (1–4), Verbal response (1–5), and Motor response (1–6) — and the total (3–15) is reported as E_M_V_ alongside the sum. By convention the sum is categorised as Mild (13–15), Moderate (9–12), or Severe (3–8 — coma). This calculator presents each domain as a button group with the canonical wording, computes the total, flags untestable components (E_C for intubated patients in the verbal column, T for trach), and produces the standard EMV breakdown a clinical note expects. References: Teasdale G & Jennett B, Lancet 1974;2(7872):81–84; Teasdale et al. 2014 GCS-40 update. This is a clinical decision support tool — confirm against the patient assessment; not a substitute for clinical judgment.
How to use it
- Tap the best response in each domain (Eye, Verbal, Motor).
- If the patient is intubated and verbal cannot be scored, tap the V_t button — verbal score is omitted and the total reported as 'E + M + Vt'.
- Read the total and the EMV breakdown — copy them into the chart.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the lowest possible GCS?
- 3 (E1 V1 M1) — eyes do not open, no verbal response, no motor response. A score of 0 or 1 is not possible by definition.
- How is GCS scored in intubated patients?
- Verbal cannot be assessed; the convention is to omit it and report the score as a sum of E + M with a "T" suffix (for example 7T = E2 + M5 + Vt). The tool produces that format when you pick Vt.
- What is the cutoff for severe TBI?
- GCS 3–8 is severe (commonly the threshold for intubation in trauma); 9–12 is moderate; 13–15 is mild. These cutoffs come from the original Glasgow series and remain in use.
- Why score domains separately?
- The total alone hides clinically important patterns — for example, GCS 9 (E1 V2 M6) is very different from GCS 9 (E4 V4 M1). Always report E, V, M.
- Is GCS valid for children?
- A modified pediatric GCS exists for pre-verbal children with age-appropriate verbal scoring (cries, words, etc.). The standard GCS in this tool is for ages 5+.
- Is anything sent anywhere?
- No. Scoring runs in your browser.