SOFA Score Calculator (Classic SOFA-1)
Calculate the original Classic SOFA-1 score from raw clinical values across six organ systems in one defined 24-hour window, with an optional comparable-baseline change.
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About
This SOFA score calculator converts raw clinical values from six organ systems into the original 1996 Classic SOFA-1 component scores and complete 0–24 total. Use the worst eligible value—meaning the value producing the highest applicable points—for each organ within one defined adult 24-hour period. The six values need not occur simultaneously. [1, 2, 3]
The default workflow calculates categories from documented PaO₂ and FiO₂, platelets, bilirubin, MAP or classic agent doses, GCS, and creatinine and/or recorded 24-hour urine output. A secondary mode accepts categories already assigned during chart abstraction. This page calculates Classic SOFA-1 only; it does not diagnose sepsis, produce an individual mortality probability, recommend treatment, or run SOFA-2. [5, 7, 9, 10]
Formula
Interpretation
| Output | Meaning | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Total, 0–24 | Sum of six Classic SOFA-1 components | Not a diagnosis or personal mortality estimate |
| Component points | Why the submitted values produced the total | Not a treatment target |
| Optional delta | Current total minus entered comparable baseline | Does not prove infection, causality, or sepsis |
- Output
- Total, 0–24
- Meaning
- Sum of six Classic SOFA-1 components
- Boundary
- Not a diagnosis or personal mortality estimate
- Output
- Component points
- Meaning
- Why the submitted values produced the total
- Boundary
- Not a treatment target
- Output
- Optional delta
- Meaning
- Current total minus entered comparable baseline
- Boundary
- Does not prove infection, causality, or sepsis
Higher or rising SOFA values have been associated with worse outcomes in cohorts, but timing, case mix, data extraction, and treatment differ. This page intentionally does not convert a score into a universal individual mortality percentage. [3, 4]
How to calculate and interpret Classic SOFA-1
One defined 24-hour assessment window
Define the window first, then enter the eligible value that produces the highest Classic SOFA-1 points for each organ. “Worst” does not mean numerically largest: lower platelets or GCS can score more, while higher bilirubin, creatinine, or classic vasoactive dose can score more. Do not combine values from different windows. [2, 3, 7]
Classic SOFA-1 scoring table
| Organ | 0 points | 1 points | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiration | P/F ≥400 | P/F ≥300 and <400 | P/F <300 | P/F ≥100 and <200 + support | P/F <100 + support |
| Coagulation | Platelets ≥150 | ≥100 and <150 | ≥50 and <100 | ≥20 and <50 | <20 |
| Liver | Bilirubin <1.2 mg/dL / <20 µmol/L | ≥1.2 and <2.0 / ≥20 and <33 | ≥2.0 and <6.0 / ≥33 and <102 | ≥6.0 and <12.0 / ≥102 and ≤204 | ≥12.0 / >204 |
| Cardiovascular | MAP ≥70 | MAP <70 | Dopamine ≤5 or dobutamine | Dopamine >5 and ≤15 or epi/NE ≤0.1 | Dopamine >15 or epi/NE >0.1 |
| CNS | GCS 15 | GCS 13–14 | GCS 10–12 | GCS 6–9 | GCS 3–5 |
| Renal | Creatinine <1.2 mg/dL / <110 µmol/L, or urine ≥500 | ≥1.2 and <2.0 / 110–170 | ≥2.0 and <3.5 / 171–299 | ≥3.5 and <5.0 / 300–440, or urine ≥200 and <500 | ≥5.0 / >440, or urine <200 |
- Organ
- Respiration
- 0 points
- P/F ≥400
- 1 points
- P/F ≥300 and <400
- 2 points
- P/F <300
- 3 points
- P/F ≥100 and <200 + support
- 4 points
- P/F <100 + support
- Organ
- Coagulation
- 0 points
- Platelets ≥150
- 1 points
- ≥100 and <150
- 2 points
- ≥50 and <100
- 3 points
- ≥20 and <50
- 4 points
- <20
- Organ
- Liver
- 0 points
- Bilirubin <1.2 mg/dL / <20 µmol/L
- 1 points
- ≥1.2 and <2.0 / ≥20 and <33
- 2 points
- ≥2.0 and <6.0 / ≥33 and <102
- 3 points
- ≥6.0 and <12.0 / ≥102 and ≤204
- 4 points
- ≥12.0 / >204
- Organ
- Cardiovascular
- 0 points
- MAP ≥70
- 1 points
- MAP <70
- 2 points
- Dopamine ≤5 or dobutamine
- 3 points
- Dopamine >5 and ≤15 or epi/NE ≤0.1
- 4 points
- Dopamine >15 or epi/NE >0.1
- Organ
- CNS
- 0 points
- GCS 15
- 1 points
- GCS 13–14
- 2 points
- GCS 10–12
- 3 points
- GCS 6–9
- 4 points
- GCS 3–5
- Organ
- Renal
- 0 points
- Creatinine <1.2 mg/dL / <110 µmol/L, or urine ≥500
- 1 points
- ≥1.2 and <2.0 / 110–170
- 2 points
- ≥2.0 and <3.5 / 171–299
- 3 points
- ≥3.5 and <5.0 / 300–440, or urine ≥200 and <500
- 4 points
- ≥5.0 / >440, or urine <200
PaO₂ must be paired with a documented FiO₂. This calculator does not estimate FiO₂ from nasal-cannula flow and does not automatically treat ordinary low-flow oxygen as qualifying support. Platelet counts in ×10³/µL and ×10⁹/L are numerically equivalent. Bilirubin and creatinine are classified directly against the published bands for the selected unit. [1, 7]
Cardiovascular and renal rules
Without classic vasoactive/inotrope use, MAP ≥70 scores 0 and MAP <70 scores 1. With use present, only dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are scored; simultaneous agents are not summed, and the highest applicable component score is used. Creatinine and urine output are alternative renal measures: one reliable measure can score the organ, both use the higher score, and neither means the complete total is withheld. Classic SOFA-1 does not add SOFA-2 kidney-replacement-therapy criteria. [1, 7]
Worked examples
- All-zero raw record: P/F 400 without qualifying support, platelets 150, bilirubin 1.0 mg/dL, MAP 70 without classic agents, GCS 15, and creatinine 1.0 mg/dL produce 0 of 24.
- Mixed raw record: P/F 150 with qualifying support, platelets 120, bilirubin 3.0 mg/dL, epinephrine 0.1 µg/kg/min, GCS 5, creatinine 2.5 mg/dL, and urine output 300 mL/24 h produce component scores 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 16.
- Renal availability: creatinine alone or urine output alone can score the renal component; when both are entered, the higher applicable score is retained. Neither available withholds the total.
- Baseline delta: current 16 minus an entered comparable baseline 14 displays +2. This is arithmetic, not a sepsis diagnosis.
Examples explain the implemented arithmetic and are not patient-specific predictions or treatment recommendations. [1, 7]
Classic SOFA-1, Sepsis-3, and related models
Sepsis-3 defines sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection and uses an acute SOFA increase of at least 2 from baseline as an operational organ-dysfunction criterion in suspected infection. A score or delta alone does not establish infection, causality, or sepsis. The 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign discusses NEWS, NEWS2, MEWS, or SIRS rather than qSOFA alone for screening; qSOFA remains a separate three-variable prompt, not a shortened input mode here. [5, 6, 8]
| Model | Task | Why it is separate |
|---|---|---|
| Classic SOFA-1 | Six-organ dysfunction score in a defined 24-hour window | This page’s original 1996 model |
| SOFA-2 | Updated descriptive six-organ scale | Different thresholds and contemporary support handling |
| qSOFA | Three-variable suspected-infection prompt | Not a shortened SOFA input mode |
| APACHE II | Different ICU severity model | Different variables, weights, and purpose |
- Model
- Classic SOFA-1
- Task
- Six-organ dysfunction score in a defined 24-hour window
- Why it is separate
- This page’s original 1996 model
- Model
- SOFA-2
- Task
- Updated descriptive six-organ scale
- Why it is separate
- Different thresholds and contemporary support handling
- Model
- qSOFA
- Task
- Three-variable suspected-infection prompt
- Why it is separate
- Not a shortened SOFA input mode
- Model
- APACHE II
- Task
- Different ICU severity model
- Why it is separate
- Different variables, weights, and purpose
Classic SOFA-1 vs SOFA-2
SOFA-2 is a separate 2025 updated descriptive model with revised thresholds and contemporary organ-support handling. It is not silently substituted into this route. The SOFA-2 methods paper says the sponsoring bodies of the International Sepsis-3 Definitions are responsible for deciding supersession. Published corrections dated January 26 and January 29, 2026, a March 4 byline correction, and the 2026 clarification reply are retained as source-version context; none changes this calculator’s Classic SOFA-1 arithmetic. [9, 10, 11, 12, 13]
Important limitations
Interpretation can be limited by pediatric age, pregnancy, specialty settings, sedation, paralysis, intubation, missing or confounded GCS, respiratory-support definitions, ECMO, nonclassic vasoactive drugs, dialysis or kidney replacement therapy, chronic dysfunction, treatment before measurement, mismatched windows, unreliable urine collection, and chart-abstraction error. A low score does not mean safe; a high score does not determine death, treatment, ICU placement, or limits of life support. [7, 8, 10]
References
- 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;22:707–710. PMID 8844239. DOI 10.1007/BF01709751.
- Vincent JL, de Mendonça A, Cantraine F, et al. Use of the SOFA score to assess the incidence of organ dysfunction/failure in intensive care units. Crit Care Med. 1998;26(11):1793–1800. PMID 9824069. DOI 10.1097/00003246-199811000-00016.
- Moreno R, Vincent JL, Matos R, et al. The use of maximum SOFA score to quantify organ dysfunction/failure in intensive care. Intensive Care Med. 1999;25(7):686–696. PMID 10470572. DOI 10.1007/s001340050931.
- Ferreira FL, Bota DP, Bross A, Mélot C, Vincent JL. Serial evaluation of the SOFA score to predict outcome in critically ill patients. JAMA. 2001;286(14):1754–1758. PMID 11594901. DOI 10.1001/jama.286.14.1754.
- Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–810. PMID 26903338. PMCID PMC4968574. DOI 10.1001/jama.2016.0287.
- Seymour CW, Liu VX, Iwashyna TJ, et al. Assessment of Clinical Criteria for Sepsis. JAMA. 2016;315(8):762–774. PMID 26903335. DOI 10.1001/jama.2016.0288.
- Lambden S, Laterre PF, Levy MM, Francois B. The SOFA score—development, utility and challenges of accurate assessment in clinical trials. Crit Care. 2019;23:374. PMID 31775846. DOI 10.1186/s13054-019-2663-7.
- Prescott HC, Antonelli M, Alhazzani W, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2026. Crit Care Med. 2026. DOI 10.1097/CCM.0000000000007075.
- Ranzani OT, Singer M, Salluh JIF, et al. Development and Validation of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)-2 Score. JAMA. Published online October 29, 2025. PMID 41159833. DOI 10.1001/jama.2025.20516. Corrected January 29, 2026 for minor typographical errors.
- Moreno R, Rhodes A, Ranzani O, et al. Rationale and Methodological Approach Underlying the Development of the SOFA-2 Score. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(10):e2545040. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.45040. Corrected January 26, 2026 for Tables 3 and 4 and March 4, 2026 for Hallie C. Prescott's name.
- Error in Tables. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(1):e2560466. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.60466. Correction published January 26, 2026: Table 3 footnote ratio data and Table 4 renal organ-system wording.
- Error in Byline. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(3):e264615. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.4615. Correction published March 4, 2026 for Hallie C. Prescott's name.
- Ranzani OT, Singer M, Moreno RP. Clarifying the SOFA-2 Score—Reply. JAMA. 2026;335(15):1362–1363. DOI 10.1001/jama.2026.0313.
FAQ
The six systems are respiration, coagulation, liver, cardiovascular, central nervous system (GCS), and renal. Each contributes 0 through 4 points. The default workflow derives those points from submitted raw clinical values; the secondary workflow accepts documented categories.
Sources: [1]
Classic SOFA workflows use the most abnormal eligible category in a documented assessment window, and serial or maximum scores depend on the chosen window. Define the adult 24-hour period before selecting values; the page cannot verify dates, extraction rules, or whether categories came from comparable records.
Sepsis-3 describes sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection and uses an acute SOFA increase of at least 2 from baseline as an operational organ-dysfunction criterion in suspected infection. The score or delta alone does not establish infection, causality, or sepsis.
The Sepsis-3 framework may assume baseline 0 when prior acute or chronic organ dysfunction is unknown, but this calculator never fills it automatically. Enter 0 explicitly only when that is the documented comparison you intend to use; otherwise leave baseline blank.
Sources: [5]
This page does not make that claim. SOFA-2 and Classic SOFA-1 are not interchangeable, and the methodology paper states that the sponsoring bodies of the International Sepsis-3 Definitions must decide whether a replacement occurs. The 2026 reply describes SOFA-2 as a descriptive organ-dysfunction scale rather than a personal predictive score.
Creatinine and 24-hour urine output are alternative renal criteria. A single reliable measure can produce a renal score; when both are available, this implementation uses the higher validated category. When both are unavailable, it withholds the complete total rather than treating missing data as normal.
Sedation, paralysis, intubation, intoxication, language or hearing barriers, and baseline neurologic impairment can confound a GCS. Use a reliable time-recorded documented GCS or a protocol-defined category; this page cannot reconstruct an unconfounded examination or guess an unavailable score.
Sources: [7]
The 3- and 4-point respiratory categories require both the P/F threshold and a qualifying support definition. Ordinary low-flow oxygen is not automatically qualifying. Enter a documented FiO₂ rather than asking the calculator to infer it from nasal-cannula flow, and follow the applicable local, research, or audit support definition.
A Classic SOFA-1 total describes the submitted organ data under the selected workflow. It does not select antibiotics, cultures, lactate testing, fluids, vasopressors, respiratory support, ICU placement, dialysis, referral, or limits of life support; those decisions require clinical assessment and the applicable pathway.
Related Calculators
qSOFA
Calculate the original adult Sepsis-3 qSOFA prognostic prompt from respiratory rate, altered mentation, and systolic blood pressure.
APACHE II
Reproduce the 1985 adult general-ICU APACHE II severity score from worst first-24-hour physiology, age and defined chronic-health points.
GCS
Record standard Glasgow Coma Scale eye, verbal, and motor responses, calculate a complete score when all are testable, and preserve Not Testable components without a fabricated total.
Disclaimer
Educational and informational reference only. Not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or independent verification.