Overview
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{{CMG}}
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==Overview==
==Overview==
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Multiple tools are available to those wishing to conduct screening for alcoholism. Identification of alcoholism may be difficult because there is no detectable physiologic difference between a person who drinks frequently and a person with the condition. Identification involves an objective assessment regarding the damage that imbibing alcohol does to the drinker's life compared to the subjective benefits the drinker perceives from consuming alcohol. While there are many cases where an alcoholic's life has been significantly and obviously damaged, there are always borderline cases that can be difficult to classify.
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''Addiction Medicine'' specialists have extensive training with respect to diagnosing and treating patients with alcoholism.
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==Screening==
==Screening==
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Several tools may be used to detect a loss of control of alcohol use. These tools are mostly [[self report study|self report]]s in questionnaire form. Another common theme is a score or tally that sums up the general severity of alcohol use.
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* The [[CAGE questionnaire]], named for its four questions, is one such example that may be used to screen patients quickly in a doctor's office.
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{{Quotation|Two "yes" responses indicate that the respondent should be investigated further.
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The questionnaire asks the following questions:
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# Have you ever felt you needed to '''C'''ut down on your drinking?
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# Have people '''A'''nnoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
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# Have you ever felt '''G'''uilty about drinking?
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# Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning ('''E'''ye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
Ewing, John A. “Detecting Alcoholism: The CAGE Questionnaire” ''JAMA'' 252: 1905-1907, 1984
[http://www.lifewisewa.com/pdfs/012695.pdf CAGE Questionnaire] (PDF)
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:The CAGE questionnaire, among others, has been extensively validated for use in identifying alcoholism. It is not valid for diagnosis of other substance use disorders, although somewhat modified versions of the CAGE are frequently implemented for such a purpose.
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* The Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire is a more sensitive diagnostic test than the CAGE test.
[http://eib.emcdda.eu.int/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.Content&nNodeID=3556&sLanguageISO=EN Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire (SADD)]
It helps distinguish a diagnosis of alcohol dependence from one of heavy alcohol use.
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* The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) is a screening tool for alcoholism widely used by courts to determine the appropriate sentencing for people convicted of alcohol-related offenses,
[http://www.ncadd-sfv.org/symptoms/mast_test.html Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST)]
driving under the influence being the most common.
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* The [[Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test]] (AUDIT) is a screening questionnaire developed by the [[World Health Organization]]. This test is unique in that it has been validated in six countries and is used internationally.
[http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_MSD_MSB_01.6a.pdf AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for Use in Primary Care]
Like the CAGE questionnaire, it uses a simple set of questions - a high score earning a deeper investigation.
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* The [[Paddington Alcohol Test]] (PAT) was designed to screen for alcohol related problems amongst those attending Accident and Emergency departments. It concords well with the AUDIT questionnaire but is administered in a fifth of the time.
{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=SG|coauthors=R Touquet, S Wright and N Das Gupta|title=Detection of alcohol misusing patients in accident and emergency departments: the Paddington alcohol test (PAT)|journal=Journal of Accident and Emergency Medicine|volume=13|issue=5|pages=308-312|publisher=British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine|date=Sep 1996|url=http://emj.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/5/308?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&title=Paddington+Alcohol+Test&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT,HWELTR|accessdate=2006-11-19}}
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==References==
==References==
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