Test For Unconsciousness: The Hand Drop
After I wrote a recent article on the benefits of the face flick for assessing level of consciousness, I received a string of questions and commentary on the effectiveness of another, more well known assessment for unconsiousness - the hand drop test.
The hand drop test is considerably more well known than its cousin the face flick and it remains a fairly reliable, though somewhat controversial test.
There’s a reason why the hand drop test is so well known. It tends to work. It’s a clever and reliable way to force a patient to make a decision and reveal their true mental status.
When done properly it’s harmless and does not require forcing pain or noxious stimuli on the patient. It also has the advantage of being appropriate to perform in front of family and loved ones. Unlike the face flick which is a bit to obnoxious for public consumption, the hand drop can be performed anywhere and looks like a fairly standard neurological test. If you don’t have this one in your tool box yet, it’s time to add it. If you do know it, let’s review it. There are some subtle elements to doing the hand drop test accurately and safely.
