Add the three quick SOFA bedside criteria used in adults with suspected infection.
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qSOFA
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Complete every required field, then select the calculate button.
qSOFA scoreOne point for each bedside criterion
Score
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Page risk label
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Educational estimate only—not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment instruction. qSOFA is not a stand-alone sepsis screening or diagnostic test. Suspected sepsis requires immediate clinical evaluation.
The quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, commonly called qSOFA, is a three-item bedside score developed for adults with suspected infection outside an intensive care unit. It assigns one point for altered mentation, one for a respiratory rate of at least 22 breaths per minute, and one for systolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg or less. The total ranges from 0 to 3.
qSOFA was designed to identify people with suspected infection who may have a greater risk of death or a prolonged intensive care stay. It is a prompt for clinical attention, not a test that diagnoses sepsis. Current sepsis guidance warns against using qSOFA alone as a screening tool. A person who seems seriously ill needs timely professional assessment even when the score is 0 or 1.
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How to Use This Calculator
Choose whether the Glasgow Coma Scale score is below 15. The page uses that selection as one point for altered mentation.
Choose whether respiratory rate is at least 22 breaths per minute. Count respirations carefully rather than guessing from a brief glance.
Choose whether systolic blood pressure is 100 mmHg or lower. Use a current, properly obtained reading.
Select Calculate. The three zero-or-one entries are added. A total of 2 or 3 is labeled as higher risk and calls for prompt clinical assessment; a lower total explicitly does not rule out sepsis.
The selections should describe the patient at the time being assessed. Measurements can change quickly, and sedatives, neurologic illness, arrhythmia, exertion or measurement error may affect individual criteria.
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Formula Used
qSOFA = altered mentation point + respiratory-rate point + systolic-pressure point
Add 1 when GCS is below 15; add 1 when respiratory rate is ≥22/min; add 1 when systolic blood pressure is ≤100 mmHg. Otherwise add 0 for that item. Possible total: 0, 1, 2 or 3.
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Variables Explained
Criterion
0 points
1 point
Mental status
GCS 15
GCS below 15, representing altered mentation in this form
Respiratory rate
Below 22 breaths/min
At least 22 breaths/min
Systolic blood pressure
Above 100 mmHg
100 mmHg or below
Total
Sum of the three criterion points, from 0 to 3
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Worked Example
Consider an adult with suspected infection whose GCS is 14, respiratory rate is 24 breaths per minute and systolic blood pressure is 118 mmHg. GCS below 15 contributes 1 point. A respiratory rate of 24 meets the at-least-22 threshold and contributes 1 point. Systolic pressure above 100 contributes 0 points. The total is 1 + 1 + 0 = 2.
The page reports a score of 2 and states that this is associated with higher risk of a poor outcome, so prompt clinical assessment is needed. The score does not establish that the person has sepsis, identify the infection source or decide treatment. Clinical history, examination, repeat observations, laboratory findings and organ-dysfunction assessment remain necessary.
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Why Use This Calculator?
A score of 2 or 3 identifies a higher-risk group in the population for which qSOFA was developed. It should encourage clinicians to investigate organ dysfunction, increase monitoring or consider escalation according to the clinical setting. It is not equivalent to the full SOFA score and does not itself meet the Sepsis-3 definition.
A score of 0 or 1 cannot safely exclude sepsis or deterioration. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends against qSOFA as the sole screening tool compared with broader approaches. Seek urgent medical help for confusion, trouble breathing, blue or mottled skin, severe weakness, very low blood pressure or any rapidly worsening illness. This educational calculation cannot replace emergency assessment, local protocols or judgment by a qualified healthcare professional.
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Common Mistakes
Calling qSOFA a sepsis diagnosis. It estimates risk among people with suspected infection.
Assuming a score below 2 means the patient is safe or does not have sepsis.
Using an old blood-pressure or breathing-rate measurement after the condition has changed.
Counting respiratory rate immediately after exertion without considering the clinical circumstances.
Confusing systolic pressure with diastolic pressure.
Selecting altered mentation without considering the person’s usual neurologic state and current clinical assessment.
Using qSOFA alone instead of a full evaluation and the healthcare setting’s sepsis process.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a qSOFA score of 2 diagnose sepsis?
No. A total of 2 or more marks greater risk in adults with suspected infection, but sepsis diagnosis requires assessment of infection and organ dysfunction by qualified clinicians.
Can a person have sepsis with a qSOFA score of 0?
Yes. qSOFA is not sensitive enough to rule out sepsis, and guidance advises against using it as the only screening method. Concerning symptoms need prompt assessment regardless of the total.
Is qSOFA the same as the full SOFA score?
No. qSOFA uses three bedside findings and ranges from 0 to 3. Full SOFA evaluates several organ systems with clinical and laboratory information and serves a different purpose.
Who was qSOFA developed for?
It was developed to identify higher-risk adults with suspected infection, particularly outside intensive care. Its usefulness can differ in children, pregnancy and special clinical populations.
What counts as altered mentation on this page?
The form follows the qSOFA presentation of a Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15. Determining why a score is reduced requires clinical assessment because medicines, injury and neurologic illness can contribute.
Should measurements be repeated?
Clinicians often reassess changing observations because breathing rate, pressure and mental status can worsen or improve. A single total is only a snapshot at the stated time.
When should emergency help be sought?
Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, new confusion, fainting, blue or mottled skin, very low pressure or rapid deterioration. Do not wait for a calculator score when someone appears seriously ill.