[Operational manual of the reaction level scale (RLS85)].

The Reaction Level Scale (RLS85) is a range scored coma scale (8 levels) for the assessment of responsiveness in patients with acute brain disorders. Its feasibility in clinical practice and for research studies has been verified in a multicentre study and by comparison with other current coma scales. Range scoring and absence of pseudoscoring are its most significant advantages over the other current scales. An operative manual of the RLS85 in Portuguese is standardized in this text which also provides a selected bibliography on the subject.