Which statement about the Glasgow Coma Scale is accurate?

• A. It only assesses verbal response.
• B. It sums eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to yield 3-15.
• C. It uses only eye-opening assessment and ignores motor and verbal responses.
• D. It is not used in adult patients.

Answer: (B)

The main idea tested is how the Glasgow Coma Scale measures level of consciousness. It does this by evaluating three domains—eye opening, verbal response, and motor response—and then adding the subscores to yield a total score from 3 to 15. Each domain has its own range: eye opening ranges from 1 (no opening) to 4 (spontaneous opening); verbal response ranges from 1 (no vocalization) to 5 (oriented conversation); motor response ranges from 1 (no movement) to 6 (obeys commands). The total score provides a quick snapshot of consciousness and is used to track changes over time. Saying it sums these three components to yield 3-15 is correct. It’s not limited to verbal assessment, and it doesn’t ignore motor or eye-opening responses. It’s also used in adults (with pediatric adaptations as needed), so stating it isn’t used in adults is incorrect.