Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) Calculator

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Explanation
• Usage
  • Prerequisites
  • Running the Code
• Example
• Follow Me

Introduction

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a neurological scale used to assess the level of consciousness and neurological functioning in patients with brain injuries. It is widely used in emergency medicine and critical care settings to evaluate and monitor patients' neurological status.

The GCS consists of three components: eye response, verbal response, and motor response. Each component is assigned a score, and the scores are then summed up to calculate the overall GCS score. The GCS score ranges from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating a higher level of consciousness and better neurological functioning.

Explanation

The GCS is divided into three components:

1. Eye Response: This component evaluates the patient's ability to open their eyes spontaneously or in response to stimuli. It is scored on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being no eye opening and 4 being spontaneous eye opening.

2. Verbal Response: This component assesses the patient's verbal interactions and responses. It is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being no verbal response and 5 being oriented and conversing.

3. Motor Response: This component measures the patient's motor movements and responses. It is scored on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being no motor response and 6 being obeying commands.

The GCS score is calculated by summing up the scores from the three components. The resulting score can range from 3 to 15.

Based on the GCS score, the patient's neurological status categorized as follows:

• Mild: GCS score between 13 and 15
• Moderate: GCS score between 9 and 12
• Severe: GCS score between 3 and 8
• Undefined: GCS score outside the valid range

Usage

Prerequisites

To run the GCS calculator code, you need to have Python installed on your system. You can download and install Python from the official Python website: python.org.

Running the Code

1. Clone the repository or download the calculate_gcs.py file.

2. Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where the calculate_gcs.py file is located.

3. Run the following command to execute the code:

   python calculate_gcs.py
   

4. Follow the prompts to enter the scores for eye response, verbal response, and motor response when prompted.

5. The code will calculate the GCS score and category based on the provided scores and display the results.

Example

Let's walk through an example to demonstrate how to use the GCS calculator.

Enter the Eye Response score (1-4): 3
Enter the Verbal Response score (1-5): 4
Enter the Motor Response score (1-6): 5

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) Calculation:
Eye Response: 3
Verbal Response: 4
Motor Response: 5
GCS Score: 12
GCS Category: Moderate

In this example, the user entered an eye response score of 3, a verbal response score 4, and a motor response score of 5. The code calculated the GCS score as 12, indicating a moderate level of consciousness and neurological functioning.

Follow Me

If you find this code useful, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter for more updates and projects:

LinkedIn: Reza Eghbal

Twitter: Reza Eghbal

Thank you for using the GCS calculator!