Bedside identification of patients at higher risk of poor outcomes from suspected infection. Free to use.
qSOFA (Quick Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess bedside identification of patients at higher risk of poor outcomes from suspected infection. The instrument contains 3 items.
Source / attribution: Singer M et al., JAMA 2016 (Sepsis-3)
Like all screening or assessment instruments, qSOFA is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 3 items below to see your qSOFA score and interpretation.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
qSOFA uses weighted summation: each item carries a fixed weight that is added when the response indicates a positive finding.
Scoring notes: Apply when infection suspected. Educational use only.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Low risk | Lower risk. |
| 2–3 | High risk | High risk — escalate now. |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Mark each item Yes or No. Each "Yes" adds the item's weight; each "No" adds 0. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Altered mental status (GCS < 15) | Yes | 1 |
| 2 | Respiratory rate ≥ 22/min | Yes | 1 |
| 3 | SBP ≤ 100 mmHg | Yes | 1 |
Add the weights from the items where you marked "Yes" (skip the "No" answers — they contribute 0).
1 + 1 + 1 = 3
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 3 falls between 2 and 3 → High risk
High risk. Increased risk of in-hospital mortality — consider sepsis workup and escalation.
A score is one input alongside history and examination. qSOFA supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
If qSOFA doesn't fit your context, related instruments in critical-care include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEWS2 | Bedside detection of clinical deterioration | 7 | — |
| APGAR Score | Rapid assessment of newborn at 1 and 5 min | 5 | — |
| ASA Physical Status | Pre-operative health status | 1 | — |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| CURB-65 | 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia | 5 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| HAS-BLED | 1-year risk of major bleeding on oral anticoagulation | 9 | — |
| HEART Score | 6-week MACE risk in ED patients with chest pain | 5 | — |
qSOFA (Quick Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment) is a validated instrument that assesses bedside identification of patients at higher risk of poor outcomes from suspected infection. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. The 3 items are combined to produce a total score.
qSOFA contains 3 items. Item scores are combined with weighted scoring to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 3, grouped into 2 interpretation bands from ‘Low risk’ up to ‘High risk’.
On the qSOFA (total score 0–3), scores of 2–3 fall in the ‘High risk’ band — interpreted as: High risk — escalate now. The full ladder is: 0–1 — Low risk: Lower risk.; 2–3 — High risk: High risk — escalate now. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0–1 fall in the ‘Low risk’ band: Lower risk. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
Yes — qSOFA is in the public domain and free for clinical, educational, and research use without permission. You can use this calculator and the scale itself freely; if you publish results or reproduce the scale, cite the original source paper.
Singer M et al. JAMA. 2016;315(8):801-810. This is the original publication for the qSOFA — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. qSOFA is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of bedside identification of patients at higher risk of poor outcomes from suspected infection — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
qSOFA is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: