Pulmonary & infection

qSOFA

Three bedside findings associated with worse outcomes in adults with suspected infection.

Intended population: Adults with suspected infection outside the ICU; a prognostic prompt, not a sepsis diagnostic test.

Do not use qSOFA as the sole sepsis screening tool. A score below 2 does not exclude sepsis or serious illness.
Suspected sepsis or shock requires prompt assessment and treatment; do not wait for a score.

Adult with suspected infection outside the ICU

Respiratory rate (breaths/min)

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

Altered mental status (GCS <15 or not alert)

Sources and scoring references

Sepsis-3 consensus definitions (2016) ↗2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign adult guideline ↗

Implementation references reviewed October 28, 2026. Verify applicability and unusual or treatment-changing results against the linked references and local guidance.