Which GCS Eye-opening response score means the patient opens their eyes only to painful stimulus?

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a neurological scale used to assess a patient's level of consciousness and responsiveness. The eye-opening response is a critical part of this assessment and is rated on a scale of 1 to 4.

A score of 2 indicates that the patient opens their eyes only in response to painful stimulus, which suggests a significant level of unresponsiveness. This might occur in situations where the patient is at a reduced level of consciousness but still has some reaction to stimuli, albeit a painful one. This kind of response indicates that there is some preservation of brain function, even though the patient is not fully aware or reactive to their environment.

For context, a score of 1 would mean that the patient does not open their eyes at all, indicating a more severe impairment. A score of 3 indicates that the patient opens their eyes spontaneously, which reflects a higher level of responsiveness. Meanwhile, a score of 4 reflects that the patient opens their eyes in response to verbal stimuli, showing an even better level of awareness. Therefore, the score of 2 specifically denotes eye-opening only in reaction to pain, pinpointing a critical aspect of assessing the patient's neurological status.