INTRODUCTION
Sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis continues to be a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality especially in early childhood and older adult age groups. The global incidence of sepsis has been estimated at 31.5 million with 5.3 million potential deaths annually. Sepsis is a time sensitive diagnosis similar to polytrauma, acute myocardial infarction, or stroke patients. Early identification and appropriate management in the initial hours after sepsis develops improves outcomes.
Sepsis is a complex syndrome and its diagnosis remains challenging. A single parameter that will identify an individual who is infected from one who has a dysregulated response to their infection does not exist. The quick Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) was introduced in 2016 as a bedside tool to identify patients at increased risk of getting sepsis or having adverse outcome. Owing to the non-specific nature of clinical symptoms and signs associated with sepsis, the challenge is the ability to derive reliable predictor parameters either clinical or laboratory that can be added to qSOfA score and used as a screening tool to recognize individuals presenting with sepsis, or septic shock to the ED.