qSOFA score (quick SOFA)

In suspected infection outside the ICU, qSOFA identifies patients at increased risk of poor outcome. It is a warning sign, not a definition of sepsis.

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–points

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Classification (original publication)

ScoreClassification (original publication)
0–1qSOFA negative – does not exclude sepsis
≥ 2qSOFA positive – increased risk of poor outcome (Seymour 2016)

qSOFA, SOFA and Sepsis-3

According to Sepsis-3, sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, operationalised as an acute increase in SOFA score of at least 2 points. qSOFA is a quick test without laboratory values that flags patients at higher risk of death.

Not as a sole screening tool

The 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends against using qSOFA compared with SIRS, NEWS or MEWS as a single screening tool for sepsis or septic shock, because its sensitivity is low.

FAQ

Does a qSOFA of 0 exclude sepsis?▾

No. qSOFA has low sensitivity; a negative result does not exclude sepsis.

References

  1. Singer M et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA 2016;315:801–10. · PubMed
  2. Seymour CW et al. Assessment of clinical criteria for sepsis (Sepsis-3). JAMA 2016;315:762–74. · PubMed
  3. Evans L et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021. Crit Care Med 2021;49:e1063–e1143. · PubMed

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Intended purpose: learning tool for medical education only. Not intended for use in patients or for diagnostic or treatment decisions; not a medical device. Calculations follow the cited original publications; no guarantee of completeness or correctness. Last updated: 09/2026 · Dr. Pascal Bafteh