Introduction
The SOFA Score Calculator works out the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. Doctors and nurses use this score in the ICU to see how well six organ systems are working in a very sick patient. Each system gets 0 to 4 points. Add them up and you get a total from 0 to 24. A higher score means more organ failure and a higher risk of death.
This tool scores all six systems for you:
- Lungs – PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio and use of a ventilator or CPAP
- Blood clotting – platelet count
- Liver – total bilirubin
- Heart and blood pressure – MAP and vasopressor doses
- Brain – Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
- Kidneys – creatinine and 24-hour urine output
Enter the worst value for each item from the past 24 hours. You can use US or SI units, and the calculator converts them for you. You get each organ sub-score, the total score, an estimated hospital death risk, and a step-by-step view of the math.
The SOFA score is also part of the Sepsis-3 rules. A rise of 2 or more points from a patient's baseline, along with a suspected infection, points to sepsis. Checking the score again over the first 48 hours tells you more than one score alone. Use this calculator to support your judgment, not to replace it.
How to use our SOFA Score Calculator
Enter the worst lab and vital sign values from the last 24 hours for six organ systems. The calculator gives you a score from 0 to 4 for each organ, a total SOFA score out of 24, your mortality risk band, and a step-by-step breakdown.
Global unit system: Pick US or SI units. This switches the units for PaO₂, MAP, bilirubin, and creatinine, and converts any numbers you already typed. You can still change each unit on its own.
PaO₂: Type the arterial oxygen level from the blood gas. Choose mmHg, kPa, Pascal, cmH₂O, or torr.
FiO₂: Type how much oxygen the patient is breathing. Choose percent, a fraction, or litres per minute. Room air is 21%.
Mechanical ventilation or CPAP: Pick Yes or No. Scores of 3 and 4 need breathing support, so a "No" answer caps the lung score at 2.
Platelet count: Type the lowest platelet count. Choose ×10³/µL, ×10⁹/L, or cells/µL. For neutrophil-based counts, see the ANC Calculator.
Total bilirubin: Type the highest bilirubin. Choose mg/dL, µmol/L, or mg%. Bilirubin also feeds into the Child-Pugh Calculator and the MELD Calculator for liver disease staging.
Mean arterial pressure (MAP): Type the lowest MAP. Choose mmHg, kPa, or cmH₂O. If you only have systolic and diastolic readings, work it out first with the MAP Calculator.
Vasopressors: Pick Yes or No. Picking Yes opens boxes for drug doses.
Dopamine and dobutamine: Type the dose in mcg/kg/min. Any dobutamine dose scores 2 points. To set the pump rate for these drips, the IV Infusion Rate Calculator and Infusion Drip Calculator can help.
Epinephrine and norepinephrine: Type the dose and pick mcg/kg/min or mcg/min.
Patient weight: Type the weight in kg or lbs. This is needed only if you enter a flat mcg/min dose, so it can be changed to mcg/kg/min. Use the Kg to Lbs Calculator if you need to swap units, or the Adjusted Body Weight Calculator for dosing in obese patients.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS): Pick the total GCS from 3 to 15. If the patient is sedated or paralyzed, guess the GCS as if they were off the drugs.
Serum creatinine: Type the highest creatinine. Choose mg/dL, µmol/L, or mmol/L. Related kidney tools include the GFR Calculator, the Creatinine Clearance Calculator, and the BUN Creatinine Ratio Calculator.
24-hour urine output: Type the total urine in mL or L per day, or pick a range from the drop-down list. The calculator uses whichever renal score is higher: creatinine or urine output. To check mL/kg/hr, use the Urine Output Calculator.
Load Example Patient: Click this to fill in sample values and see how the tool works. Click Reset twice to clear everything.
What Is the SOFA Score?
SOFA stands for Sequential Organ Failure Assessment. It is a score doctors use in the intensive care unit (ICU) to see how many organs are failing and how badly. Each of six organ systems gets 0 to 4 points. Higher points mean worse organ function. All six scores add up to a total from 0 to 24.
The Six Organ Systems
- Lungs (respiration): uses the PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio. This compares oxygen in the blood to oxygen the patient breathes in. Scores of 3 and 4 need a ventilator or CPAP.
- Blood clotting (coagulation): uses the platelet count. Low platelets mean more bleeding risk. Patients on anticoagulation may also be tracked with the Heparin Drip Calculator.
- Liver: uses total bilirubin. A sick liver lets bilirubin build up, which can turn skin and eyes yellow. The AST ALT Ratio Calculator and MELD Na Calculator add more detail on liver injury.
- Heart and blood flow (cardiovascular): uses mean arterial pressure (MAP) and any drugs used to raise blood pressure, like norepinephrine or dopamine. Higher drug doses mean more points. For output-based measures, see the Cardiac Index Calculator and the Fick Cardiac Output Calculator.
- Brain (neurological): uses the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which rates how awake and aware a patient is. In alcohol withdrawal, pair this with the CIWA Calculator.
- Kidneys (renal): uses creatinine in the blood and how much urine is made in a day. The worse of the two scores counts. The FENa Calculator can help sort out the cause of low urine output.
Why the Score Matters
The SOFA score helps the care team judge how sick a patient is and guess the risk of dying in the hospital. A score of 6 or less links to a low risk. A score of 15 or more links to a very high risk. But the score is a guide, not a promise. It does not decide care by itself.
Checking the Score Over Time
One score tells you about one moment. Repeating the score each day tells you more. If the score goes up in the first 48 hours in the ICU, the risk of death is higher. If it stays the same or goes down, the outlook is better. That is why the word "sequential" is in the name.
SOFA and Sepsis
The Sepsis-3 guidelines use SOFA to define sepsis. If a patient has a suspected infection and the SOFA score rises by 2 points or more from their baseline, that counts as sepsis. Patients with no known organ problems are assumed to start at a baseline of 0.
How to Use It Right
Use the worst value for each item from the last 24 hours. If the patient is sedated or paralyzed, estimate the GCS as if the drugs were not given. Drug doses count only if they ran for at least one hour, and they are measured in mcg/kg/min. Because of this, weight matters when a dose is written as mcg/min.
Limits to Keep in Mind
SOFA was built for adults in the ICU. It is not made for children, and it was not designed to predict how one single person will do. Long-term illness, like chronic kidney disease or liver disease, can raise the score even when the patient is not getting worse. Always read the score along with the full clinical picture.
Related Clinical Calculators
Other bedside tools that pair well with SOFA scoring include the Anion Gap Calculator and Serum Osmolality Calculator for metabolic status, the Corrected Calcium Calculator and Ionized Calcium Calculator for electrolytes, the QTc Calculator and CHA₂DS₂-VASc Calculator for cardiac risk, and the BSA Calculator for weight-based dosing and indexed measurements.