Predictive validity of the qSOFA score for sepsis in adults with community-onset staphylococcal infection in Thailand

The quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score has had limited validation in lower resource settings and was developed using data from high-income countries. We sought to evaluate the predictive validity of the qSOFAscore for sepsis within a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) population with culture-proven staphylococcal infection. This was a secondary analysis of a prospective multicenter cohort in Thailand with culture-positive infection due to Staphylococcus aureus or S. argenteus within 24 h of admission and positive (≥2/4) systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria. Primary exposure was maximum qSOFA score within 48 h of culture collection and primary outcome was mortality at 28 days. Baseline risk of mortality was determined using a multivariable logistic regression model with age, gender, and co-morbidities significantly associated with the outcome. Predictive validity was assessed by discrimination of mortality using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve compared to a model using baseline risk factors alone. Of 253 patients (mean age 54 years (SD 16)) included in the analysis, 23 (9.1%) died by 28 days after enrollment. Of those who died, 0 (0%) had a qSOFA score of 0, 8 (35%) had a score of 1, and 15 (65%) had a score ≥2. The AUROC of qSOFA plus baseline risk was significantly greater than for the baseline risk model alone (AUROCqSOFA = 0.80 (95% CI, 0.70-0.89), AUROC_baseline = 0.62 (95% CI, 0.49-0.75); p < 0.001). Among adults admitted to four Thai hospitals with community-onset coagulase-positive staphylococcal infection and SIRS, the qSOFA score had good predictive validity for sepsis.