Scores & indices
qSOFA calculator
Three bedside findings and no bloods — a prompt that this infection may go badly, stated with the honesty that it screens poorly.
How to read the result
qSOFA falls into these published bands.
A patient with a urinary source of infection: respiratory rate 24/min and a systolic blood pressure of 96 mmHg, mentation intact.
qSOFA 2 — at threshold: higher risk of poor outcome
The prompt has fired: assess for organ dysfunction with a full SOFA and lactate, take cultures before antimicrobials, and escalate care without delay per your sepsis policy.
Who this is for
For clinicians at the bedside of a patient with suspected infection — in the emergency centre, on the ward, or anywhere bloods are not yet back. Respiratory rate ≥ 22, systolic BP ≤ 100, and altered mentation each score a point; two or more flags a higher risk of poor outcome and prompts the full work-up — lactate, full SOFA, cultures before antimicrobials — per Sepsis-3 (Seymour, JAMA 2016).
How it works
What it calculates
The quick SOFA: respiratory rate ≥ 22, systolic BP ≤ 100, and altered mentation — a bedside prompt that a patient with suspected infection is at higher risk of a poor outcome.
What it is not
Not a diagnostic test for sepsis and not a screening tool — the Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends against using qSOFA alone for screening because it is insensitive. NEWS2 tracks deterioration better on the ward.
When it fires
Two or more criteria with suspected infection: assess for organ dysfunction (full SOFA, lactate), take cultures before antimicrobials, and escalate per your sepsis policy. Reference: Sepsis-3, JAMA 2016.
Built on published evidence
- Seymour et al., JAMA 2016 (Sepsis-3)
Codification last reviewed 2026-08-28, and checked against published reference values in automated tests on every release — see the full evidence ledger.
Questions clinicians ask
Is qSOFA a screening test for sepsis?
No — the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (2021) recommends against using qSOFA alone for screening because it is insensitive. It is a prognostic prompt in suspected infection, not a diagnostic test; on the ward, NEWS2 tracks deterioration better.
What should happen when qSOFA is 2 or more?
Assess for organ dysfunction — full SOFA score and lactate — take cultures before antimicrobials, and escalate care and treat for sepsis without delay, following your local sepsis policy.
Does a qSOFA below 2 exclude sepsis?
No. A low score does not exclude sepsis — the tool says so explicitly. Judge the whole patient, keep observing, and reassess; a rising NEWS2 or clinical concern outranks a reassuring qSOFA.
What exactly counts as altered mentation?
Any Glasgow Coma Scale below 15 — new confusion, drowsiness, or reduced responsiveness all qualify. In Sepsis-3 this was the criterion with the strongest association with poor outcome.
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