RANCHOS LOS AMIGOS

Course overview

THE RANCHO LOS AMIGOS SCALE (RLAS), ALSO KNOWN AS THE RANCHOS SCALE, IS A WIDELY ACCEPTED MEDICAL SCALE USED TO DESCRIBE THE COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS FOUND IN BRAIN INJURY PATIENTS AS THEY RECOVER FROM INJURY. IT WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED BY THE HEAD INJURY TEAM AT THE RANCHO LOS AMIGOS HOSPITAL IN DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA TO ASSESS PATIENTS EMERGING FROM A COMA. IT IS OFTEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GLASGOW COMA SCALE DURING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF A BRAIN INJURY PATIENT. HOWEVER, UNLIKE THE GLASGOW COMA SCALE, IT IS USED THROUGHOUT THE RECOVERY PERIOD AND NOT LIMITED TO THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT. IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS AS WELL AS THEIR RELIANCE ON ASSISTANCE TO CARRY OUT THEIR COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CLINICAL USE OF THE RANCHOS LOS AMIGOS SCALE TO ASSESS PATIENTS WITH A HEAD INJURY.