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Nursing vocabulary · Patient Assessment

Level of consciousness

Meaning in nursing, with examples

nounCommon term

In nursing, level of consciousness means: How awake, alert and aware a patient is, from fully alert to not responding at all.

In Turkish: bilinç düzeyi, bilinç durumu

How it is used

Assessed with simple scales such as AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive) or ACVPU, which adds new Confusion, and with the more detailed Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), scored from 3 to 15. A drop in the level of consciousness is an important sign of deterioration. Often shortened to LOC.

Example sentences

  1. His level of consciousness has dropped; he only opens his eyes when you speak loudly.

  2. Check her level of consciousness every hour after the head injury.

Common collocations

  • reduced level of consciousness
  • assess the level of consciousness
  • change in level of consciousness
  • altered level of consciousness
  • unresponsiveNot reacting to voice, touch or pain, so that the person seems unconscious; a sign that urgent help is needed.
  • alert and orientedAwake and aware of who you are, where you are and what time it is; a common way to describe a patient's normal mental state.
  • early warning scoreA score calculated from a patient's vital signs and level of consciousness that helps staff notice early that a patient is becoming seriously ill.
  • observationsIn nursing, the regular set of measurements taken from a patient, mainly the vital signs, and sometimes other checks such as pain or level of consciousness.

More terms: Patient Assessment

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.