Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 5 or less indicates significant neurological impairment. The GCS is a scale used to assess a patient's level of consciousness by evaluating eye, verbal, and motor responses. A lower score reflects a more severe impairment of brain function, suggesting that the brain has suffered substantial damage, which is often irreversible.

In the context of a potential organ donor, a GCS of 5 or less typically means that the patient is in a state of decreased consciousness, indicating severe neurological deficits. This scenario makes it highly unlikely for any significant recovery of brain function to occur. Therefore, recognizing this level of impairment is critical in the decision-making process regarding organ donation, as it suggests that the individual has a minimal chance of regaining sufficient neurological function to live independently.

The other options do not accurately reflect the implications of such a low GCS score. Options regarding potential for brain recovery, good prognosis for recovery, or normal brain function are inconsistent with the interpretation of a GCS of 5 or less. This reinforces the understanding that severe impairment, as indicated by the low GCS, shapes the clinical decisions surrounding organ donation.