Relation between Glasgow coma score and cough reflex.

Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 2985213R Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0140-6736 (Print) Linking ISSN: 01406736 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Lancet Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2004- : London : Elsevier
Original Publication: London : J. Onwhyn

Glasgow Coma Scale* ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Reflex*; Coma/*classification ; Cough/*physiopathology; Coma/etiology ; Coma/physiopathology ; Emergencies ; Humans

How unconscious does a patient need to be, to be intubated without drugs? In 76 comatose patients (Glasgow coma score [GCS] < or = 8) who were treated consecutively in an emergency department, the integrity of the cough reflex was not related to GCS. All comatose patients must be treated as if their airway is compromised but even at the lowest coma scores, there are many patients whose airway reflexes are sufficiently intact to make procedures such as endotracheal intubation difficult and dangerous without drugs. The state of the airway should be assessed independently of conscious level.

Comment in: Lancet. 1994 Jul 16;344(8916):195. (PMID: 7912789)

Date Created: 19940521 Date Completed: 19940616 Latest Revision: 20190611

20231215

10.1016/s0140-6736(94)92155-5

7910279