Which statement best describes a RASS score of 0?

• A. Restless, anxious, apprehensive but not yet agitated
• B. Combative, violent, immediate danger to self or others
• C. Alert and calm
• D. Very agitated, aggressive, concern for future violence

Answer: (C)

RASS uses a scale from -5 to +4 to rate a person’s level of agitation and sedation. A score of zero means the patient is alert and calm—baseline, with no agitation or unusual sedation. The statement describing someone as alert and calm matches this baseline exactly. Other options describe states of restlessness or aggression, which correspond to positive scores that indicate increasing agitation, not a zero. So the description of being alert and calm is the best fit for a RASS of zero.