Which phrase correctly expands the AVPU acronym used for rapid consciousness assessment?

• A. Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive
• B. Awake, Visual, Pain, Unconscious
• C. Alert, Vocal, Pressure, Unresponsive
• D. Aware, Verbal, Pulse, Unresponsive

Answer: (A)

AVPU is a quick bedside scale used to categorize a patient’s level of consciousness after injury or illness. It moves from the most alert to the least responsive: Alert means the person is awake, oriented, and following commands. Verbal indicates the patient responds to spoken commands or sounds but is not fully awake. Pain means there is a response to a painful stimulus, showing some brain activity despite not waking fully. Unresponsive means there is no response to voice or pain, indicating a possible coma.

The phrase that expands AVPU correctly is "Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive." Terms like Awake, Visual, Pressure, Pulse, or Unconscious don’t align with the standard AVPU definitions, so they don’t fit the acronym.