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qSOFA (Quick SOFA) score for sepsis

Rapid bedside identification of high-risk infection outside the ICU.

qSOFA (Quick SOFA) score for sepsis
Respiratory rate ≥22 /min
Systolic blood pressure ≤100 mmHg
Altered mentation (GCS <15)
Result0 points

Lower risk by qSOFA, but a single point does not exclude sepsis — reassess if clinical concern persists.

When to use

  • Rapid, laboratory-free screen for patients with suspected infection outside the ICU. A score ≥2 flags those at higher risk of a poor outcome.

Formula

One point each for respiratory rate ≥22/min, systolic BP ≤100 mmHg, and altered mentation (GCS <15). Range 0–3.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • qSOFA is a prompt to look harder, not a diagnosis of sepsis; Sepsis-3 defines sepsis as infection plus a rise in the full SOFA score of ≥2.
  • Sensitivity is modest — do not use a score of 0–1 to rule out sepsis in a patient who looks unwell.

References

  1. Singer M, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–10.