The A-V-P-U scale is an acronym that assesses a person's state of consciousness using four response levels:
- A for "Alert," which means the person is conscious, responding to verbal and visual stimuli, and able to communicate.
- V for Voice, which means that the person responds to verbal stimuli but is not able to communicate. They may be disoriented or confused.
- P for Pain, which means that the person does not respond to verbal stimuli, but does respond to painful stimuli, such as pinching the trapezius or nail beds.
- U for "Unresponsive", which means that the person does not respond to any stimulation, neither verbal nor painful.
It is often used by health care professionals in emergency situations to quickly determine a person's state of consciousness, and take appropriate action to treat the victim. It is one of the first steps in first aid, and is a triage tool in emergency situations requiring immediate treatment for victims. It can help identify victims who need immediate care and those who can be left to secondary care.
Definition and Meaning
It is important to know and use the AVPU scale because it provides a quick and reliable assessment of a person's state of consciousness. This allows rescuers to take appropriate action to treat the victim based on their state of consciousness, which may be vital to their survival.
By using the AVPU, rescuers can quickly assess whether a person is conscious and able to communicate, or whether he or she is not conscious and requires immediate care. This avoids wasting time with unnecessary tests and allows them to focus on the people who need help the most.
In addition, the AVPU is easy to use and can be quickly applied by medical professionals or even non-medical people trained in its use, which is important in emergency situations where time is vital. It can also be used as a triage tool to identify victims who need immediate care and those who can be left to secondary care.
In sum, the AVPU is a practical and effective tool for assessing the state of consciousness of victims and making appropriate decisions in terms of emergency care, its mastery and use can help save lives.
Synonyms
There are several scales and tools that have similar purposes to the AVPU for assessing consciousness, some examples include:
- Glasgow Scale: It is used to assess a person's state of consciousness and ability to respond to verbal and visual stimuli. It is used to assess head injuries and patients in a coma state.
- Rancho Los Amigos Lucidity Scale: This is used to assess the state of consciousness of patients in a coma or post-traumatic confusion. It is often used to assess patients in coma or post-traumatic confusion.
- Orientation-Movement-Coherence Scale (OMC): This is used to assess a person's state of consciousness using criteria of orientation, movement, and coherence of verbal response.
It is important to note that each scale has its own limitations, advantages, and characteristics that must be considered before using them, and that they must be used in conjunction with other tests to assess a person's state of consciousness.
Usage
The AVPU is typically used to assess a person's state of consciousness when they show signs of confusion or unconsciousness. It is often used in emergency or disaster situations, or when the person has suffered a head injury or cardiac arrest.
It is also used in other situations where consciousness may be compromised, such as:
- drug overdoses,
- seizures,
- hypoglycemia,
- comatose states,
- strokes,
- malaise,
- states of shock,
- respiratory disorders.
It can also be used to assess the state of consciousness of elderly people with dementia or other cognitive disorders, as well as for people with mental disorders.
It is important to note that the AVPU should not be used as a final diagnosis, but rather as a tool to quickly assess a person's state of consciousness. It is advisable to use it in combination with other tests to assess a person's state of consciousness more accurately and completely.
Examples
A :
- A (Alert): A person who is conscious, has her eyes open, and is able to communicate her needs and feelings is considered to be in "A." She is aware of her surroundings.
- The victim at "A" may be disoriented or confused.
V :
- V (Voice): A person who responds to a verbal stimulus, such as when called by name, but is not able to communicate further is considered to be in "V". This may include a person who is disoriented or confused.
- The "V" victim appears unconscious when the rescuer arrives, with eyes closed. A simple verbal stimulus, such as calling their name, causes them to open their eyes. As long as the victim is stimulated in this way, she remains awake. However, when the stimulus is stopped, they close their eyes so that they do not open them spontaneously.
- * The victim with a "V" state of consciousness may be hypoglycemic, or under the effect of an overdose of medication or illicit drugs. In head trauma, it is more rare to find victims in this state for an extended period of time; they progress to better or worse.
P:
- P (Pain) : A person who is unresponsive to verbal stimuli, but responsive to painful stimuli (trapezius or nail bed pinch) is considered to be in "P".
- The victim at "P" appears unconscious when the rescuer arrives. She has her eyes closed. The verbal stimulus alone will not elicit a response. The victim must be subjected to a painful stimulus to obtain any reaction.
- * The level of reaction obtained is complete awakening. A withdrawal movement or a slight moan is not relevant to the assessment. Only the presence of a reaction to the painful stimulus is assessed.
U:
- U (Unresponsive): A person who is unresponsive to any stimulation, either verbal or painful, is considered to be in "U." This may include a person who is unconscious or in a coma state.
- * Since at this level, the victim is not responding to any stimuli, on the Glasgow Scale, their score would be 3/15.
It is important to note that these examples are generic and that the AVPU should be used in combination with other tests to assess a person's state of consciousness more accurately and completely.
Conclusion
The AVPU is an acronym used to assess a person's state of consciousness. It consists of 4 response levels: A for Alert, V for Voice, P for Pain, and U for Unresponsive. This scale is important because it provides a quick and reliable assessment of a person's state of consciousness, allowing rescuers to take appropriate action to treat the victim based on his or her state of consciousness, which may be vital to survival. It is often used in emergency situations, avoids wasting time with unnecessary examinations and allows to focus on the people who need help the most. The AVPU is easy to use and can be quickly applied by healthcare professionals or even non-medical people trained in its use. It is also used as a triage tool to identify victims who need immediate care and those who can be left to secondary care.
Appendices
Bibliographic references.
- Bell, G. S., Headley, C., & Millar, J. (2002). AVPU: An easy and reliable method of assessing the level of consciousness in patients with acute brain injury. Anaesthesia, 57(6), 543-545.
- Chandra, R., & Pandit, J. (2011). Assessment of consciousness in critical care. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 15(1), 1-4.
- David Romanelli and Mitchell W. Farrell: April 5, 2022 "AVPU Score" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538431/ [Last accessed January 10, 2023]
- David Romanelli and Mitchell W. Farrell: April 5, 2022 "AVPU Score" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30860702/ [Last accessed January 10, 2023]