What does a GCS score of 2 indicate?

A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 2 indicates a state of severe brain injury. The GCS is a neurological scale used to assess a patient's level of consciousness based on verbal, motor, and eye-opening responses. Each category is scored from 1 to 5 for eye opening, 1 to 6 for motor responses, and 1 to 5 for verbal responses.

A score of 2 reflects a very limited response, indicating that the patient may show no eye-opening, a minimal and inappropriate verbal response, or only reflexive motor responses that do not indicate purposeful movement. This low score suggests significant impairment of neurological function and often correlates with a poor prognosis.

Understanding that higher scores reflect better function is crucial; a score of 15 indicates full consciousness and responsiveness, while anything below 8 typically signifies a serious brain injury with the potential for unconsciousness or life-threatening conditions. Hence, a GCS score of 2 is indicative of severe brain impairment, justifying the classification as severe brain injury.