Assessment and prioritization
AVPU
Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive
A four-level scale for level of consciousness, used as a rapid alternative to the more detailed Glasgow Coma Scale.
What each letter stands for
- 1 Alert — awake and responsive without prompting.
- 2 Verbal — responds when spoken to.
- 3 Pain — responds only to a painful stimulus.
- 4 Unresponsive — no response to any stimulus.
How it gets tested
Asked as an ordering item: the scale runs from most to least responsive, so a patient who answers when spoken to is V, not A.
Related terms
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