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qSOFA Score

Quick SOFA — a bedside screening tool to identify patients with suspected infection who are at greater risk of poor outcomes. No labs required.

Criteria

Altered mental status (GCS < 15)

Respiratory rate ≥ 22/min

Systolic BP ≤ 100 mmHg

qSOFA Score (0–3)

Negative screen

Interpretation—

Next step—

Disclaimer: For educational purposes only. qSOFA is a screening tool — it does not diagnose sepsis. A negative qSOFA does not exclude sepsis. Use clinical judgment and consider full SOFA scoring.

Scoring

Altered mental status (GCS < 15): +1
Respiratory rate ≥ 22/min: +1
Systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg: +1

Interpretation

qSOFA ≥ 2: Positive screen — associated with higher in-hospital mortality and prolonged ICU stay in patients with suspected infection.
qSOFA 0–1: Negative screen — lower risk, but does not exclude sepsis.

Clinical pearls

qSOFA is intended for outside the ICU (wards, ED) to prompt closer monitoring or escalation.
It does not define sepsis — Sepsis-3 uses SOFA ≥ 2 increase with suspected infection.
Sensitivity is limited (~50–60%); a negative qSOFA should not be falsely reassuring if clinical suspicion is high.
Lactate, procalcitonin, and full SOFA provide additional information.

References

Singer M, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–810.
Seymour CW, et al. Assessment of Clinical Criteria for Sepsis. JAMA. 2016;315(8):762–774.