SOFA score (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment)

The SOFA score describes the extent of organ dysfunction in six organ systems with 0 to 4 points each. It was introduced in 1996 by a working group of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. For each organ system, the worst value of the assessment period is usually used.

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Calculator

Respiration – PaO₂/FiO₂ in mmHg (kPa)
Coagulation – platelets in 10³/µl
Liver – bilirubin in mg/dl (µmol/l)
Cardiovascular catecholamines in µg/kg/min for at least 1 hour – scoring criterion of the scale
Central nervous system – Glasgow Coma Scale
Renal – creatinine in mg/dl (µmol/l) or urine output
–points

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Classification (original publication)

ScoreClassification (original publication)
0–24SOFA total – higher values indicate more severe organ dysfunction; Vincent 1996 defines no severity categories

SOFA and Sepsis-3

According to the Sepsis-3 definition (Singer 2016), organ dysfunction in sepsis is operationalised as an acute increase in SOFA score of at least 2 points consequent to infection. Without known pre-existing organ dysfunction, a baseline of 0 is assumed. What matters is the change, not a single threshold.

Origin and table

Vincent et al. (1996) developed the score as the “Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment” to describe organ dysfunction over time; as it is not specific to sepsis, it is now usually called the “Sequential Organ Failure Assessment”. The thresholds on this page follow the table in Singer et al. (2016), adapted from Vincent 1996. The catecholamine figures in the cardiovascular item are scoring criteria of the scale, not dosing recommendations.

qSOFA

qSOFA is a quick bedside test without laboratory values (respiratory rate, mentation, systolic blood pressure) and does not replace the SOFA score.

FAQ

What is the maximum SOFA score?▾

24 points: six organ systems with a maximum of 4 points each.

What does SOFA stand for?▾

Originally “Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment”, now usually “Sequential Organ Failure Assessment”.

References

  1. Vincent JL et al. The SOFA (Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment) score to describe organ dysfunction/failure. Intensive Care Med 1996;22:707–10. · PubMed
  2. Singer M et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA 2016;315:801–10. · 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: 10/2026 · Dr. Pascal Bafteh