What score is assigned to eye-opening in response to painful stimuli?

The score assigned to eye-opening in response to painful stimuli is 2. This scoring is part of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which is used to assess a patient’s level of consciousness, particularly in cases of head injury or altered mental status.

In the GCS, eye-opening responses are categorized as follows:

• A score of 1 is given for no eye-opening at all.

• A score of 2 indicates that the patient opens their eyes in response to painful stimuli but does not open them spontaneously or in response to verbal commands.

• A score of 3 is for eye-opening in response to verbal stimuli, which shows a higher level of awareness.

• A score of 4 is awarded when the patient opens their eyes spontaneously without any external stimuli.

Therefore, a score of 2 accurately reflects the response to painful stimuli, showcasing that the individual has some level of reaction to external pain, which is an important indicator for assessing a patient's neurological function.