Value of SOFA score, APACHE II score, and WBC count for mortality risk assessment in septic patients: A retrospective study

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) Vol. 104; no. 20; p. e42464
• Main Authors: Li, Dengkai, Wei, Yanfang, Zhang, Chunfang, Yang, Yun, Wang, Zhenqiang, Lu, Yaru, Liu, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 16.05.2025
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; APACHE; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Male; Middle Aged; Observational Study; Organ Dysfunction Scores; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Sepsis - blood; Sepsis - diagnosis; Sepsis - mortality; APACHE II score; SOFA score; predictive value; WBC count; mortality outcome; sepsis
• ISSN: 1536-5964; 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000042464

Sepsis is characterized by rapid onset, swift progression, and poor prognosis. Delay in early recognition and treatment may easily escalate to septic shock, resulting in a markedly high mortality rate. Early prognosis assessment holds significant value in enhancing the clinical outcomes of septic patients. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score are commonly utilized clinical tools for assessing patients' conditions, while white blood cell (WBC) count is frequently employed to evaluate the inflammatory status of the body. The study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of SOFA score, APACHE II score, and WBC count in assessing the risk of mortality in septic patients, providing valuable insights for improving the prognosis of septic patients. In this retrospective study, 139 patients diagnosed with sepsis in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical outcomes of the patients were collected through a 28-day follow-up period, and patients were categorized into the survival group (n = 96) and the death group (n = 43). The value of SOFA score, APACHE II score, and WBC count for the mortality risk assessment in septic patients was calculated by plotting ROC curves, and the risk factors for mortality in septic patients were analyzed. The AUC of SOFA score was 0.809 (95% CI = 0.734-0.871, P < .0001) for predicting the mortality risk of sepsis. The AUC of APACHE score was 0.806 (95% CI = 0.729-0.884, P < .0001) for predicting the mortality risk of sepsis. The AUC of WBC count was 0.689 (95% CI = 0.591-0.788, P = .004) for predicting the mortality risk of sepsis. The AUC of combined detection was 0.861 (95% CI = 0.792-0.914, P < .0001) for predicting the mortality risk of sepsis. Univariate analysis revealed that SOFA, APACHE II, and WBC were correlated with mortality in septic patients (P < .05). Patients with sepsis demonstrate significant elevations in WBC count, SOFA, and APACHE II scores. The combined application of these indicators holds considerable value in predicting the mortality outcomes of septic patients. Accordingly, clinical treatment plans can be adjusted based on these aforementioned indicators to ameliorate the prognosis of septic patients.