SOFA Score (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment)
Assesses the severity of organ dysfunction in critically ill patients, correlating with ICU mortality.
Medical Specialty:
Intensive Care
FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY
This calculator is a support tool intended exclusively for health professionals. It does not replace clinical judgment. The final decision regarding diagnosis and treatment is the sole responsibility of the professional.
About this Calculator 💡
The SOFA score, an acronym for "Sequential Organ Failure Assessment," is a scoring system widely used in intensive care units (ICUs) to describe and quantify the severity of organ dysfunction or failure in critically ill patients. Developed to be calculated repeatedly (e.g., daily), it allows clinicians to track the evolution of a patient's condition over time, rather than just being a static measure at admission. The SOFA assesses six major organ systems: respiration (via the PaO2/FiO2 ratio), coagulation (platelet levels), liver (bilirubin levels), cardiovascular system (mean arterial pressure or the need for vasopressor medications to maintain pressure), central nervous system (using the Glasgow Coma Scale), and renal function (serum creatinine levels or urine output). Each system is assigned a score from 0 (normal function) to 4 (severe dysfunction), based on specific laboratory and clinical parameters. The sum of the scores from the six systems results in the total SOFA score, which can range from 0 to 24. A higher score indicates a greater degree of organ dysfunction and is associated with a higher risk of mortality. A change in the SOFA score (an increase) during the ICU stay is a particularly strong prognostic indicator. This score is fundamental in clinical research and in the daily management of severe patients, and it is also a key component in the definition of sepsis (Sepsis-3).
Reference Values
- •Score 0-1: ICU mortality ~0%
- •Score 2-3: ICU mortality ~5-10%
- •Score 4-5: ICU mortality ~15-20%
- •Score 6-7: ICU mortality ~25-35%
- •Score > 7: ICU mortality > 40%
Formula
Calculation Methodology Sum of points from six organ systems.
Reference
Vincent JL, Moreno R, Takala J, et al. The SOFA (Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment) score to describe organ dysfunction/failure. Intensive Care Med. 1996;22(7):707-710.