The Glasgow Coma Scale: A European and Global Perspective on Enhancing Practice

Although the Glasgow Coma Scale has made a positive contribution to the care of people with neurologic orders, variance exists in its understanding and application secondary to inconsistency in guidelines, their interpretation, and the educational approach to the use of the tool. This fragmentation has been evidenced to result in variances in practice, some potentially harmful. Also, recent evidence demonstrates human factors, such as distress, have not been addressed within such education and guidelines for use. An opportunity now exists to take a new, unified approach to education and standards for use of the tool, framed within a person-centered context.