What does the AVPU scale stand for in pediatric assessment?

• A. Alert, Voice, Painful, Unresponsive
• B. Active, Verbal, Painful, Unresponsive
• C. Alert, Voice, Pupils, Unresponsive
• D. Alive, Voice, Pulses, Understands

Answer: (A)

AVPU is a quick way to gauge a child’s level of consciousness during assessment. Start by checking if the child is Alert—fully awake, interactive, and oriented. If not, see if they respond to Verbal stimuli—speech or shouting their name, answering questions, or following simple commands. If there’s no verbal response, test for a response to Painful stimuli—pinching or pressing to see if anything elicits movement or a reaction. If there’s no response to any stimulus, the child is Unresponsive.

The standard expansion is Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive. Some sources use Voice instead of Verbal, which is why that component might appear similar in options. The other terms listed (Active, Pupils, Alive, Pulses, Understands) aren’t used in the AVPU scale and don’t describe level of consciousness.

So, the best match is the sequence that corresponds to Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive.