Levels of Consciousness

Levels of Consciousness

LOC	Characteristics
Alert	Awake, alert, and oriented. Understands written and spoken language and responds appropriately.
Confused	Disoriented first to time, then place, then person. Memory deficits, difficulty following commands, restless, agitated.
Lethargic	Oriented to time, person, and place, but demonstrates slow mental processes, sluggish speech. Sleeps frequently but wakens to spoken word or gentle shake. Maintains wakefulness with sufficient stimulation.
Obtunded	Extreme drowsiness, responds with one or two words, follows very simple commands, requires more vigorous stimulation to awake and stays awake for a few minutes at a time only.
Stuporous	Minimal movement, responds unintelligibly, and awakens briefly only to repeated vigorous stimulation.
Coma	Does not respond to verbal stimuli, does not speak. May have appropriate motor response (withdraws from noxious stimuli), nonpurposeful response, or no response.