EFFECT OF AGE ON GLASGOW COMA SCALE IN PATIENTS WITH MODERATE AND SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

Background:Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of death and disability globally and is a strain on health services. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) by Teasdale and Jennett from 1974 is the mainstay of neurological assessment in TBI.There has been growing recognition, however, that the presentation of the GCS can be significantly affected by age; older patients will often present with seemingly good GCS, despite having severe injuries. It creates a misconception of the extent of injury, poor triage and poor outcomes. It is therefore important to better understand how age affects GCS scores as well as how recovery curves for early recovery look across ages to optimize management of TBI across all ages.