qSOFA score and LqSOFA score as predictors of outcome in an elderly population with chest infection treated in the Emergency Department. A case series

The objective of this study is to assess the prognostic value regarding 28-day outcome of the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score and the combined score calculated from blood lactate levels + qSOFA (LqSOFA) score in elderly patients initially treated in the Emergency Department (ED) for sepsis due to pneumonia or other chest infections. This is a prospective observational study, conducted at the ED in a Greek University Hospital. Forty-one patients with sepsis due to chest infection were enrolled in the study. All patients were treated in the Resuscitation Room of the ED according to the international treatment protocols for sepsis. The qSOFA score was calculated on admission for all patients, and one point was added in the calculation of the LqSOFA score in patients with blood lactate levels >2 mmol/L. Both the qSOFA and the LqSOFA scores had high sensitivity and specificity in predicting unfavorable outcome in elderly patients with chest infection and sepsis. In the ongoing debate of early diagnosis of sepsis and identification of prognostic indexes of the syndrome, qSOFA score alone or in combination with lactate levels could serve as a reliable predictor of outcome. Large prospective studies are needed to further evaluate the role and prognostic validity of these scores in the ED.