Alert, Voice, Pain, and Unresponsive Scale Kanval M.

Butt Alert, Voice, Pain, and Unresponsive (AVPU) Scale is a fast and crucial tool used in First Aid and Emergency Nursing to asses a victims level of consciousness. AVPU is a simplified form of the Glasgow Coma Scale and contrary to GCS AVPU has only four outcomes. The victims condition is rated from best (A) to worst (U), from which the necessity of care and action is decided. The victim is considered alert (A) when he/ she can open their eyes spontaneously, is responsive to voice and is able to control bodily function. It is not necessary though that the patient is oriented as long as he/she is fully awake. Voice (V), if the victim is not fully awake but opens eyes, grunts, and/or moves limbs to respond to rescuer. If he/she does not respond to the rescuers voice then further assessment is established. This time, it is to check if the patient will respond to pain (P). Three common methods are used to check the victims responses to pain these are: sternal rub, nailbed squeeze and the earlobe squeeze. If the victim does not show sign of any response he/she is then rated unresponsive (U) or sometimes unconscious. Although the AVPU scale can be very helpful in assessing a victims neurologic status in emergency cases, it is not recommended for long-term neurologic assessment. Even if the patient is alert (A) further assessment must be done using the GCS when the ambulance crew arrives. Medicine, Science and Technology is constantly evolving. Theories and processes are constantly being modified. The AVPU scale for example is simple modification of the GCS. In emergency situations, every second counts. Hence, using the AVPU rather than GCS in tight situations would be advantageous. Also, it is a scale that anybody with rational judgment can use. Although the scope of the scale is rather limited to GCS, its vitality in First Aid must not be underrated. Because, hundreds maybe thousands of lives and limbs have been saved using speedy First Aid tools as this.