SOFA Score Calculator
Score organ dysfunction in a critically ill patient with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). Six systems — respiration, coagulation, liver, cardiovascular, central nervous system and kidney — each score 0 to 4, for a total of 0 to 24. A higher total, and a rise from baseline, reflect worse and worsening organ failure. Choose the band for each system to get the total.
About the SOFA score
SOFA quantifies organ dysfunction across six systems to describe severity and trend in critical illness, and underpins the Sepsis-3 definition of sepsis. Sources: Vincent JL et al., Intensive Care Medicine 1996; Singer M et al., Sepsis-3, JAMA 2016.
How this is calculated
| Organ system | Points |
|---|---|
| Respiration (PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio) | 0–4 |
| Coagulation (platelets) | 0–4 |
| Liver (bilirubin) | 0–4 |
| Cardiovascular (MAP / vasopressors) | 0–4 |
| CNS (Glasgow Coma Scale) | 0–4 |
| Kidney (creatinine or urine output) | 0–4 |
| Maximum | 24 |
Each of the six systems scores 0 (normal) to 4 (most abnormal); the points add to a total of 0–24. There is no single cut-off — a higher total and a rise of ≥ 2 from baseline (Sepsis-3) indicate worse and new organ dysfunction, and mortality climbs with the score. Sources: Vincent JL et al., Intensive Care Medicine 1996; Singer M et al., Sepsis-3, JAMA 2016.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SOFA score?
The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores the function of six organ systems — respiratory, coagulation, hepatic, cardiovascular, neurological and renal — from 0 (normal) to 4 (most abnormal), giving a total of 0 to 24. It was developed to describe and track organ dysfunction over time in critically ill patients, particularly in sepsis. It was introduced by a European Society of Intensive Care Medicine working group and first published by Vincent and colleagues in 1996 under its original name, the Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score, before being renamed "Sequential" once it came into general use for critically ill patients regardless of whether sepsis was present.
How does SOFA relate to sepsis?
In the Sepsis-3 definitions (2016), sepsis is defined as a suspected or confirmed infection together with an acute rise in the SOFA score of 2 points or more, which reflects new organ dysfunction. So the change from the patient’s baseline SOFA matters as much as the absolute number. The quick bedside screen qSOFA is a separate, simpler tool used before full SOFA data are available.
What do the six systems measure?
Respiration uses the PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio (with points 3–4 requiring respiratory support); coagulation uses platelet count; liver uses bilirubin; cardiovascular uses mean arterial pressure and the dose of vasopressors; the central nervous system uses the Glasgow Coma Scale; and the kidney uses creatinine or urine output. Each contributes 0–4 points, and this calculator adds them into the 0–24 total. The cardiovascular component is unusual among the six in that it is based partly on treatment — the type and dose of vasopressor being given — rather than a physiological measurement alone, so it can be influenced by management as well as by illness severity.
What total is considered high?
There is no single cut-off, because SOFA is used to trend organ function rather than to give a yes/no result, but mortality rises steadily with the score: a higher total, and a total that keeps climbing, indicate more severe illness and worse prognosis. Studies show mortality climbing from single digits at low scores to well over half at scores above roughly 11. Read the number alongside the trend and the clinical picture.
What are the limits of this tool?
The SOFA score needs laboratory and physiological data that are usually only available in hospital, it reflects a single point in time, and the cardiovascular row depends on which vasopressor and dose are running. It is for adults; children use a paediatric version (pSOFA). This is an educational reference, not medical advice.
This is a reference tool, not a diagnosis or medical advice. Results depend on the laboratory, assay and clinical context, and reference intervals vary between labs and by age and sex — always read your result against the range printed on your own report and discuss it with a qualified healthcare professional.
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