This calculator is for general information and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace the judgment of a doctor, nurse or pharmacist who knows the full clinical picture.
Spotting the infected patient at risk
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. Recognizing it early saves lives. When the Sepsis-3 definitions were published in 2016, the task force introduced the quick SOFA (qSOFA), a simple bedside prompt to identify adults with suspected infection who are likely to have a poor outcome.
The three criteria
One point each for:
- Respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute or more
- Altered mental status, defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15
- Systolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg or less
The score ranges from 0 to 3. No laboratory test is needed.
Interpreting the score
A score of 2 or more in a patient with suspected infection outside the ICU was associated with a 3 to 14 times higher risk of in-hospital death in the derivation data. It should prompt:
- assessment for organ dysfunction, with lactate and the full SOFA score
- urgent treatment, including cultures, antibiotics and fluids as indicated
- closer monitoring or escalation of care
Example
A patient with pneumonia, a respiratory rate of 24, a blood pressure of 96/58 and normal alertness scores 2, a high-risk result.
Limits
qSOFA is specific but not sensitive: many patients with sepsis score 0 or 1, especially early on. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2021 guidelines recommend against using it alone as a screening tool compared with SIRS, NEWS or MEWS. Use it as one prompt among others, repeat it as the patient’s condition changes, and never use a low score to withhold treatment from a patient who looks unwell.