Revised Trauma Score (RTS) Calculator
Calculate the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) from three bedside parameters — Glasgow Coma Scale, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate — to triage trauma severity and estimate survival probability.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
mmHg
breaths/min
0 = worst; 7.84 = best. Score < 4 activates major trauma protocol.
- 1
GCS coded value (0–4)
4GCS 13–15 → 4 ; 9–12 → 3 ; 6–8 → 2 ; 4–5 → 1 ; 3 → 0. - 2
SBP coded value (0–4)
4>89 mmHg → 4 ; 76–89 → 3 ; 50–75 → 2 ; 1–49 → 1 ; 0 → 0. - 3
RR coded value (0–4)
410–29 breaths/min → 4 ; >29 → 3 ; 6–9 → 2 ; 1–5 → 1 ; 0 → 0. - 4
RTS = weighted sum
0.9368 × 4 + 0.7326 × 4 + 0.2908 × 4 = 7.84
How does this calculator work?
Code each of GCS, systolic BP, and respiratory rate to 0–4, then compute RTS = 0.9368 × GCSc + 0.7326 × SBPc + 0.2908 × RRc (range 0–7.84). RTS ≥ 7 = mild, 4–6.9 = moderate, < 4 = severe — triggers major trauma activation. Higher score = better predicted survival.
Formula
How this is calculated
The Revised Trauma Score (Champion et al. 1989) is a physiological scoring system for rapid triage of trauma patients. Each of the three parameters — Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and respiratory rate (RR) — is converted to a coded value from 0 (worst) to 4 (best) according to predefined ranges. The three coded values are then multiplied by regression-derived weights (0.9368, 0.7326, 0.2908) and summed, giving an RTS between 0 and 7.8408.
The weights reflect each parameter's statistical contribution to survival: GCS is the most predictive, followed by SBP, then RR. A score of 7.84 represents physiologically normal vital signs; scores below 4 (corresponding to severe physiological derangement) generally trigger major trauma activation and are associated with significantly elevated mortality. The calculator also provides an approximate survival probability derived from the original logistic regression model.
Limitations: the survival probabilities are from the original validation dataset (mainly blunt trauma in the US, 1982–1987) and may not reflect outcomes in modern trauma systems or penetrating injuries. The RTS is a triage and research tool — definitive clinical decisions require full trauma assessment, ATLS protocols, and institutional injury severity benchmarks.
Frequently asked questions
An RTS below 4 indicates severe physiological derangement. The original RTS paper and many trauma systems use this threshold to activate major trauma protocols and prioritise highest-level care. It roughly corresponds to a combination of GCS ≤12, SBP <90 mmHg, or RR outside 10–29 breaths/min.
Each parameter (GCS, SBP, RR) is mapped to a coded integer 0–4 based on threshold ranges. For example, GCS 13–15 → code 4; GCS 9–12 → code 3; and so on. These coded values are then multiplied by the regression weights before summation, so the formula is not a simple sum.
RTS uses only physiological parameters (GCS, SBP, RR). TRISS (Trauma and Injury Severity Score) combines RTS with anatomical injury severity (Injury Severity Score/ISS) and patient age to produce a more refined survival probability estimate. RTS is used for field triage; TRISS is used for outcome benchmarking.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Revised Trauma Score (RTS) Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/revised-trauma-score-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Revised Trauma Score (RTS) Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/revised-trauma-score-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Revised Trauma Score (RTS) Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/revised-trauma-score-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_revised_trauma_score_calculator, title = {Revised Trauma Score (RTS) Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/revised-trauma-score-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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