Interpreting a Glasgow Coma Scale Score of 7

Neurological · Question from the ATI RN Medical-Surgical 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answer: C. Severe head injury

Why this is the answer

A GCS of 8 or below is the accepted threshold for a severe head injury/coma, and 7 falls within that range. A minor head injury (A) corresponds to a GCS of 13–15, far above this patient's score. A moderate head injury (B) corresponds to a GCS of 9–12 — still higher than 7. Brain death (D) is not something the GCS diagnoses at all; brain death requires a separate, specific set of clinical and confirmatory tests, and a low GCS alone never establishes it.

The bigger concept

The GCS severity bands (13–15 minor, 9–12 moderate, 3–8 severe) are worth memorizing cold, and a GCS of 8 or less is also the classic threshold nurses associate with the need to protect the airway, since patients at this level typically can't protect it themselves.

Related Neurological practice questions

• The Most Sensitive Sign of Neurological Change
• Testing Clear Nasal Drainage After a Head Injury
• The 'Halo Sign' After a Head Injury
• What a Positive Kernig's Sign Means
• Positive Babinski Sign in an Adult

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