The Glasgow Coma Scale for a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries are among some of the most severe medical emergencies. These injuries can occur after a major motor vehicle collision, a minor slip and fall, or anything in between. Unfortunately, many families experience firsthand what a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can do to an individual. Furthermore, they are far more common than many people think. According to statistics that have been published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- More than 2.8 million people visited a medical provider due to concerns for a TBI in 2013.
- Close to 290,000 people were hospitalized because of an injury to the head or neck area.
- Nearly 50,000 people died as a result of a TBI.
- More than 325,000 children visited an emergency department because of concerns related to a TBI.
These numbers demonstrate that traumatic brain injuries are both common and deadly. Like all other medical injuries, some TBIs are more severe than others. One of the tools used to assess a traumatic brain injury is called the Glasgow Coma Scale.
An Overview: The Glasgow Coma Scale
The Glasgow Coma Scale is a tool used by the medical community to evaluate severe head injuries. It was first developed over 40 years ago and is used by medical providers on a routine basis. The goal of the scale is to evaluate someone’s neurological state following a head injury. This scale assesses three different areas of cranial function and individuals are scored from 3 points (indicating no response) to 15 points (indicating full alertness and orientation). The three areas are:
Eye Opening:
- Will open eyes spontaneously- 4 points
- Opens eyes in response to sound- 3 points
- Opens eyes in response to pain- 2 points
- Does not open eyes – 1 point
Verbal Speech:
- The person is fully oriented- 5 points
- Their speech is confused- 4 points
- The speech is not appropriate- 3 points
- Words are entirely incomprehensible- 2 points
- There is no sound at all- 1 point
Motor Function:
- The individual can obey commands- 6 points
- The person localizes pain- 5 points
- Individual withdraws in response to pain- 4 points
- The patient is fully flexed- 3 points
- The individual is fully extended- 2 points
- No motor function at all- 1 point
Anyone who does not have a score of 15 will need attention from a medical professional. He or she might have suffered a traumatic brain injury and might need a CT scan or an MRI.
Watch YouTube Video: Glasgow Coma Scale at 40. This educational video shows the new approach to the assessment of the Glasgow Coma Scale.
Contacting a Brain Injury Attorney
If a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. What will happen next? Will my loved one make a full recovery? Families deserve to have help during this stressful time. This is where a traumatic brain injury lawyer can be helpful. A compassionate attorney can:
- Assist a family in making objective decisions during a challenging time.
- Review medical records and accident information to make sure that details have not been overlooked.
- Help families pursue damages related to traumatic brain injuries, pain, and suffering.
Nobody should have to go through this alone. A traumatic brain injury lawyer in San Francisco can provide valuable assistance to families in need. You and your loved ones might be deserving of a financial reward.
San Francisco Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a traumatic brain injury lawyer in San Francisco. If you or someone you know has suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident, please reach out to me at (415) 805-7284 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
I have been inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for the state of California. This group of injury lawyers has been listed with many of the top accident attorneys in the country. Members have settled cases or won verdicts of over $1 million dollars.
Please see my membership in the Top One Percent, a National Association of Distinguished Counsel. You may want to view some of my verdicts/settlements.
Take a look at what my prior clients have to say about my services: Avvo, Yelp, and Google.
Attribution of Image: Pixabay.com
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