Glasgow Coma Scale adapted for paediatric assessment of neurological
status.
I am a critical care clinical nurse specialist/consultant working in the
neurosciences department of a large teaching hospital in Sydney
Australia (Royal Prince Alfred). I am interested in finding out more
about how neurosurgical Intensive Care Units, and neurosurgical wards,
in other hospitals assess paediatric neurological status with the GCS.
In particular I am interested in responses from:
Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts, USA
Greater Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London. UK
Toronto Children's Hospital. Canada
Adelaide Children's Hospital. South Australia
Melbourne Children's Hospital. Victoria Australia
although I would be happy with responses from anywhere.
It appears that many hospitals use the adult GCS without considering the
very real problems of assessing verbal response and obeying commands. I
would be very interested to know what ages are specified at differing
hospitals and, in particular, what instructions or guidelines are given
as to normal responses for differing ages. Also types and sites of
painful stimulus recommended. If responding to this request could you
also say how reliable you have found the method you use, to be.
Thankyou in anticipation
Maureen Edgtton RN, CNC Neurosciences, RPN, ICU Cert, MHLTH Sc Ed.
(Syd).
