5-8. JUDGING LEVEL OF SEVERITY OF HEAD INJURY

The most important indication of the severity of a patient's head injury is the patient's level of consciousness. His initial level of consciousness is also the best indicator of how well the patient will recover from the head injury. A changed level of consciousness reflects the degree of generalized injury to the brain. Initially, the patient's level of consciousness can be assessed by testing his responses to stimuli using the AVPU test.

a. A - Is the patient alert? Is the patient looking around to find out where he is?

b. V - Does the patient respond to verbal stimuli? When asked a question, does the patient respond well or at all?

c. P - Does the patient respond to painful stimuli? Does the patient respond to a pinch or a pin prick?

d. U - Is the patient unresponsive? Does the patient respond to no stimuli at