Pediatric Glascow Coma Scale

The Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale is the equivalent of the Glasgow Coma Scale used on children. The PGCS comprises three tests: eye, verbal and motor responses. The three values separately as well as their sum are considered. The lowest possible PGCS (the sum) is 3 (deep coma or death) whilst the highest is 15 (fully awake and aware person).


Best eye response: (E)

  1. No eye opening
  2. Eye opening to pain
  3. Eye opening to speech
  4. Eyes opening spontaneously

Best verbal response: (V)

  1. No verbal response
  2. Infant moans to pain
  3. Infant cries to pain
  4. Infant is irritable and continually cries
  5. Infant coos or babbles (normal activity)

Best motor responses: (M)

  1. No motor response
  2. Extension to pain (decerebrate response)
  3. Abnormal flexion to pain for an infant (decorticate response)
  4. Infant withdraws from pain
  5. Infant withdraws from touch
  6. Infant moves spontaneously or purposefully

Any combined score of less than eight represents a significant risk of mortality.