Evaluation of the Sofa Score in Predicating Outcome of Sepsis Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Care Center in Nepal

Abstract

Background Sepsis is a major health burden with life- threatening conditions, which leads to a high rate of mortality in patients. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, which assesses organ dysfunction across multiple systems, has been considered a reliable indicator of the severity of critical illness. We have carried out this study to evaluate the predictive value of the SOFA score in assessing the mortality of patients with sepsis on admission.  Methods Our study was a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out in patients with sepsis who were admitted to the medical ICU of Chitwan Medical College from December 15, 2021, to December 14, 2022. Patient sampling was done based on a non-probability convenience sampling technique.  Results In a study of 130 patients, 54.6% were male and 45.4% were female. The mean SOFA score was 7.1, with a median of 7. 38.5% (50 patients) died due to sepsis. The mean SOFA score was higher among deceased patients (9.3) than survivors (5.8). Higher SOFA scores were associated with increased mortality. 46% of patients required inotropes/Vasopressor support for shock. Patients requiring vasopressor support had a significantly higher mortality rate (53.3%) compared to those who did not need support (25.7%). 13.1% of patients required mechanical ventilatory support, and the majority of these patients (70.6%) had mortality.  Conclusion SOFA score is a valuable tool to assess organ dysfunctions and it can predict the outcome of patients admitted with sepsis.