qSOFA Score Calculator — Quick Sepsis Screening
Score three bedside findings — altered mentation (GCS < 15), respiratory rate ≥ 22, and systolic BP ≤ 100 mmHg — each worth 1 point. A qSOFA of ≥ 2 flags patients at high risk for poor sepsis-related outcomes and triggers urgent workup.
Mentation
breaths/min
mmHg
Range 0–3 | score ≥ 2 = high risk for poor sepsis-related outcomes
- 1
Mentation score
0Altered mentation (GCS < 15) = 1 point; alert (GCS 15) = 0. - 2
Respiratory rate score
RR < 22 (18 breaths/min) = 0 - 3
Systolic BP score
SBP > 100 mmHg (120 mmHg) = 0 - 4
Total qSOFA score
0 + 0 + 0 = 0
How does this calculator work?
qSOFA sums three binary criteria: altered mentation (GCS < 15), respiratory rate ≥ 22 breaths/min, and systolic BP ≤ 100 mmHg. Score ≥ 2 signals high risk for poor sepsis-related outcomes — trigger blood cultures, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and sepsis bundle. Range 0–3; introduced by Sepsis-3 (JAMA 2016).
Formula
How this is calculated
The quick SOFA (qSOFA) score was introduced by the Sepsis-3 taskforce (Singer et al., JAMA 2016) as a simple, no-laboratory bedside tool to identify non-ICU patients likely to have poor outcomes attributable to sepsis. It replaces the older SIRS criteria for rapid screening. Each of the three criteria — any alteration from baseline mentation (GCS < 15), respiratory rate ≥ 22 breaths/min, and systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg — scores 1 point. The maximum is 3.
A score of ≥ 2 out of 3 identifies patients who need a full organ-dysfunction assessment (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, SOFA), blood cultures, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and IV fluid resuscitation as guided by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign bundle. A score of 0 or 1 does not exclude sepsis — particularly in the ICU setting, where the full SOFA score is preferred over qSOFA for monitoring.
Limitations: qSOFA has moderate sensitivity and specificity. It was validated in Emergency Department and ward populations, less so in the ICU. Baseline respiratory disease, beta-blockers (blunting tachycardia), or pre-existing hypotension can inflate or deflate the score independently of infection. Clinical judgment, serum lactate ≥ 2 mmol/L, and culture results complete the sepsis evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
A score ≥ 2 identifies a patient at high risk of sepsis-related poor outcomes — typically in-hospital death or prolonged ICU admission. These patients need urgent evaluation: blood cultures within 1 hour, IV antibiotics, lactate measurement, and fluid resuscitation per the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Hour-1 Bundle.
No. qSOFA is a bedside screening tool with 3 binary criteria requiring no laboratory tests. The full SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score covers 6 organ systems (respiratory, coagulation, liver, cardiovascular, CNS, renal) using laboratory values, and is used to define sepsis as an acute SOFA increase of ≥ 2 points.
No. qSOFA is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. The Sepsis-3 definition requires suspected/confirmed infection plus acute organ dysfunction (SOFA ≥ 2). A positive qSOFA should trigger further workup; it is not sufficient on its own for a sepsis diagnosis or to withhold treatment if clinical suspicion is high.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). qSOFA Score Calculator — Quick Sepsis Screening [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/q-sofa-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "qSOFA Score Calculator — Quick Sepsis Screening." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/q-sofa-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "qSOFA Score Calculator — Quick Sepsis Screening," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/q-sofa-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_q_sofa_calculator, title = {qSOFA Score Calculator — Quick Sepsis Screening}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/q-sofa-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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