Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale
- Health & Life Sciences -
Nursing & Allied Health Dictionary
Definition
A clinical assessment concept defining how health status is measured, interpreted, and tracked to support timely care decisions. It governs observation, measurement, documentation, and escalation criteria used to identify needs and changes in condition. It does not establish a diagnosis by itself and requires appropriate clinical correlation and follow-up actions to be effective.
Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale
Health & Life Sciences Dictionary
Definition
An ordinal clinical scale that rates a critically ill patient’s level of alertness and agitation versus sedation on a continuum from +4 (combative) through 0 (alert and calm) to −5 (unarousable), based on observable behavior and response to verbal and tactile stimulation, used to standardize assessment, communicate targets, and titrate sedative and analgesic therapy in acute care settings.