Utility of qSOFA and modified SOFA in severe malaria presenting as sepsis

Sepsis can be caused by malaria infection, but little is known about the utility of the quick Sequential (Sepsis-Related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and SOFA score in malaria. We conducted a prospective observational study from March 2013 to February 2017 to examine adults admitted with community-acquired infection in a tertiary-care hospital in Ubon Ratchathani, Northeast Thailand (Ubon-sepsis). Subjects were classified as having sepsis if they had a modified SOFA score ≥2 within 24 hours of admission. Serum was stored and later tested for malaria parasites using a nested PCR assay. Presence of severe malaria was defined using modified World Health Organization criteria. Of 4,989 patients enrolled, 153 patients (3%) were PCR positive for either Plasmodium falciparum (74 [48%]), P. vivax (69 [45%]), or both organisms (10 [7%]). Of 153 malaria patients, 80 were severe malaria patients presenting with sepsis, 70 were non-severe malaria patients presenting with sepsis, and three were non-severe malaria patients presenting without sepsis. The modified SOFA score (median 5; IQR 4-6; range 1-18) was strongly correlated with malaria severity determined by the number of World Health Organization severity criteria satisfied by the patient (Spearman's rho = 0.61, p<0.001). Of 80 severe malaria patients, 2 (2.5%), 11 (14%), 62 (77.5%) and 5 (6%), presented with qSOFA scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Twenty eight-day mortality was 1.3% (2/153). In conclusion, qSOFA and SOFA can serve as markers of disease severity in adults with malarial sepsis. Patients presenting with a qSOFA score of 1 may also require careful evaluation for sepsis; including diagnosis of cause of infection, initiation of medical intervention, and consideration for referral as appropriate.