Infectious diseases
SIRS Criteria
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome — infection screen.
SIRS Criteria calculator
Result
0/4
SIRS < 2 — sepsis less likely
SIRS has low specificity; Sepsis-3 (2016) recommends using qSOFA/SOFA instead.
How to use it
- 1
4 bedside criteria. Temperature, HR, RR/PaCO₂, WBC. Each is binary.
- 2
SIRS ≥ 2 with infection source. Historically defined 'sepsis' (Sepsis-1/2). Sepsis-3 replaced with SOFA ≥2.
- 3
Still used in many institutions. Many hospitals still trigger sepsis bundles on SIRS ≥2 + suspected infection.
When to use it
- Triage trigger
- SIRS ≥2 flags patients for sepsis bundle consideration, blood cultures, IV access.
- Pancreatitis
- SIRS criteria used in pancreatitis severity (Ranson, BISAP, revised Atlanta).
- Not for ICU prognosis
- Use SOFA score for Sepsis-3 sepsis definition and ICU mortality prediction.
A reference for clinicians and students, not medical advice. A score supports a decision; it does not make one. Check every result against the patient in front of you and your local protocol.
At a glance
- Specialty
- Infectious diseases
- Inputs
- 4
- Type
- Points score
