A qSOFA score of 2 or 3 in a patient with suspected infection identifies those at higher risk of death or prolonged ICU stay. It should prompt clinicians to investigate for organ dysfunction, consider escalation of care, and initiate early sepsis management including blood cultures and antibiotics.

qSOFA was introduced in Sepsis-3 to replace SIRS as a bedside screening tool. Unlike SIRS (which has four criteria and requires temperature/WBC), qSOFA uses only three clinical variables that require no lab tests. qSOFA is more specific for identifying patients at risk of poor outcomes, though SIRS remains more sensitive for detecting any infection.

No. qSOFA is a screening tool for use outside the ICU. The full SOFA score remains the standard for diagnosing sepsis (defined as suspected infection + SOFA increase ≥ 2). qSOFA identifies patients who may need SOFA assessment and closer monitoring, not patients who definitively have sepsis.