What it means
A fast check used in first aid, triage and early warning scores. The nurse notes the best level the client reaches: A, awake and alert; V, responds when spoken to; P, responds only to a painful stimulus; U, no response. It is simpler than the Glasgow Coma Scale.
For the nurse
Report any drop in level (for example from A to V) right away, and check the airway in a client who responds only to pain or not at all.
Related terms
mental status
A person's state of mind at a given time: how alert they are, what they know and how they think, speak and behave.
triage
Sorting clients by how urgently they need care, to decide who is seen first.