Coma scale, best verbal response, none, admit

This code indicates a patient's complete absence of verbal response upon arrival at the hospital, as assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). It signifies the most severe level of impaired verbal communication due to neurological compromise. This finding is a critical component in evaluating the patient's overall neurological status.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states "GCS verbal response: none" or "no verbal response" at the time of the patient's admission to the hospital. This typically applies to patients with severe brain injury, stroke, drug overdose, or other conditions causing profound altered mental status. The GCS score should be clearly documented by a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

• Always ensure the GCS assessment is documented as occurring at "hospital admission" to align with the code's specificity.
• Do not use this code if the patient has a tracheostomy or is intubated, as their ability to verbalize is physically impaired, not necessarily neurologically absent.
• Sequence this code after the primary diagnosis indicating the underlying cause of the altered mental status or neurological impairment.