Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) Practice Exam

A patient is considered to be in deep unconsciousness when they score a 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The GCS is a neurological scale that assesses a person's level of consciousness based on their responses in three areas: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response.

A score of 3 indicates that the patient exhibits no eye opening, no verbal response, and no motor response to stimuli, which signifies a state of unresponsiveness often referred to as coma. This is the lowest possible score on the GCS and reflects the most severe level of impaired consciousness. In contrast, scores of 4 through 15 indicate varying degrees of responsiveness and awareness, with higher scores suggesting better neurological function and receptivity to stimuli. Therefore, the score of 3 distinctly characterizes a patient in deep unconsciousness.