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Printed on 4/21/2026
For informational purposes only. This is not medical advice.
The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) is a standard ICU and emergency-care scale for quantifying mental arousal from severe agitation to deep sedation. It supports sedation titration, delirium workflows, and communication during serial neurologic checks.
Formula: Single-item ordinal scale from +4 (combative) to -5 (unarousable), based on bedside response to voice and physical stimulation.
Positive RASS values indicate agitation severity, zero reflects alert calm status, and negative values indicate progressively deeper sedation. Very negative scores can limit neurologic assessment and delirium screening reliability.
Use RASS during emergency and ICU care whenever monitoring mental arousal, titrating sedatives, or documenting agitation trends over time.
RASS is observer-based and can vary by examiner technique. It reflects arousal state at one point in time and does not independently diagnose pain, delirium etiology, or neurologic injury.
For related assessments, see CAM-ICU, Glasgow Coma Scale and SOFA Score.
Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health.
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