Preferred Label : Alert Verbal Painful Unresponsive Scale Clinical Classification;
NCIt synonyms : AVPU;
NCIt related terms : AVPU01;
NCIt definition : A standardized assessment algorithm published by the American College of Surgeons
Committee on Trauma in the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol in 1989 that uses
the criterion of alert, responsive to verbal stimulation, responsive to painful stimulation,
or unresponsive to determine a patient's level of consciousness.;
Alternative definition : CDISC: Alert Verbal Painful Unresponsive (AVPU) Scale (American College of Surgeons
Committee on Trauma. Advanced trauma life support course for physicians. Chicago,
IL: American College of Surgeons; 1989. Kelly CA, Upex A, Bateman DN. Comparison of
consciousness level assessment in the poisoned patient using the alert/verbal/painful/unresponsive
scale and the Glasgow Coma Scale. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2004 Aug;44(2):108-13).
CDISC believes this instrument to be in the public domain, but you should perform
your own assessment.;
NCI Metathesaurus CUI : CL970300;
Origin ID : C161656;
UMLS CUI : C5205979;
Semantic type(s)
- concept_is_in_subset
