Does a GCS of 3 mean dead?

GCS3 refers to the lowest score on the Glasgow Coma Scale, indicating a patient with severe neurological impairment, and immediate medical intervention is required to ensure the best possible outcome in terms of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. A patient with GCS3 shows no eye opening, no verbal response, and no motor response to stimuli, representing the most critical level of unconsciousness, typically seen in patients with severe brain injury, deep coma, or those who are near brain death 1. The prognosis for patients with GCS3 is generally poor, though outcomes depend on the underlying cause, patient age, comorbidities, and time to treatment 1. A GCS score of 3 indicates a severe brain injury and is associated with a poor prognosis 2. Patients with a GCS score of 3 often have a high mortality rate, with one study reporting a mortality rate of 80.6% 2. However, some patients with a GCS score of 3 can still achieve a good outcome, with one study reporting that 14.5% of patients achieved a good outcome at 6 months 2.