The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) can be used to monitor the level of agitation (excited sensorium) and sedation (depressed sensorium) for a patient in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Behavioral ranges:
(1) agitated or anxious: 1 to 4
(2) neutral: 0
(3) sedated: -1 to -5
Clinical Status |
RASS |
combative (violent, dangerous to staff) |
4 |
very agitated (pulling on or removing catheters) |
3 |
agitated (fighting ventilator) |
2 |
anxious |
1 |
spontaneously alert, calm and not agitated |
0 |
able to maintain eye contact >= 10 seconds |
-1 |
able to maintain eye contact < 10 seconds |
-2 |
eye opening but no eye contact |
-3 |
eye opening or movement with physical or painful stimuli |
-4 |
unresponsive to physical or painful stimuli (deeply comatose) |
-5 |
Purpose: To evaluate the status of a patient over the continuum of agitation and sedation in the intensive care unit using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS).
Specialty: Pedatrics, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, general
Objective: severity, prognosis, stage
ICD-10: R45.1,