After a closed-head injury, if a client's Glasgow Coma Scale score is 7, how should the nurse describe the client?

A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 7 indicates a severe level of impaired consciousness, which categorizes the individual as being in a comatose state. The GCS is used to assess a patient's level of consciousness based on three criteria: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. A score of less than 8 generally signifies a comatose condition, as patients at this level have either minimal or no response to stimuli.

While it's possible for someone with a score of 7 to experience other complications, such as visual or hearing impairments or even a specific injury like a subdural hematoma, these details are not definitive descriptors of the patient's state of consciousness. Instead, the classification of comatose effectively captures the patient's overall condition based on the GCS assessment.

In contrast, being alert with impaired motor function does not align with a GCS score of 7, as the individual does not exhibit alertness or appropriate responses that would characterize a higher level of consciousness.