Comparison of qSOFA Score and NEWS2 Score in Sepsis Patients Admitted in Emergency Department and ICU as Prognostic Markers of Patient Outcome.

BACKGROUND

Sepsis causes high short-term mortality in emergency and ICU settings. Quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and national early warning score 2 (NEWS2) are bedside tools for early risk stratification, yet comparative evidence remains limited.

OBJECTIVES

To compare qSOFA and NEWS2 for predicting 7-day and 28-day mortality and length of stay in adult sepsis patients.

METHODS

This prospective observational study was conducted over 1 year (March 2024-February 2025) at a tertiary care center in northern India. A total of 874 patients aged 18-65 years admitted with sepsis were enrolled. On-admission qSOFA and NEWS2 scores were recorded. Outcomes included 7-day, 28-day mortality and length of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Among 874 patients, NEWS2 showed higher sensitivity than qSOFA for 7-day (63.1% vs 35.1%) and 28-day mortality (64.1% vs 37.3%), with comparable specificity (~86%). Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values favored NEWS2 for 7-day (0.627 vs 0.606) and 28-day mortality (0.629 vs 0.609).

CONCLUSION

In adults with sepsis, the NEWS2 score showed higher sensitivity and marginally better prognostic accuracy than qSOFA for predicting short-term mortality and hospital stay. NEWS2 may therefore serve as a more reliable bedside tool for early identification of high-risk patients in emergency and ICU settings.