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PatientPlus articles are written for doctors and so the language can be technical. However, some people find that they add depth to the articles found in the other sections of this website which are written for non-medical people.

CAGE Questionnaire

This easy to use patient questionnaire is a screening test for problem drinking and potential alcohol problems.1

CAGE Questionnaire
This is best used in a clinical setting as part of a general clinical history taking, and may be phrased informally.
The cage questions should not be preceded by any questions about alcohol intake - ie its sensitivity is dramatically enhanced by an open-ended introduction.2
Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?
Total= /4

A total score of 2 or greater is considered clinically significant (sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 76% for the identification of problem drinking);3 compared with GGT liver function test which detected only a third of patients having more than 16 "drinks" per day.

References, footnotes and further reading

  1. Ewing JA. Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire. JAMA. 1984 Oct 12; 252(14):1905-7.
  2. Steinweg DL, Worth H. Alcoholism: the keys to the CAGE. Am J Med. 1993 May; 94(5):520-3.
  3. Bernadt MW, Mumford J, Taylor C, Smith B, Murray RM. Comparison of questionnaire and laboratory tests in the detection of excessive drinking and alcoholism. Lancet. 1982 Feb 6;1(8267):325-8.

Acknowledgements Developed by Dr. John Ewing, founding Director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Cahpel Hill, CAGE is an internationally used assessment instrument for identifying alcoholics.

Researchers and clinicians who are publishing studies using the CAGE Questionaire should cite first reference above. No other permission is necessary unless it is used in any profit-making endeavor in which case Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies would require to negotiate a payment.

Last issued 08 May 2006







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PS - Health and Poverty

Perhaps the biggest cause of ill health in the world is poverty. Help to Make Poverty History. For example, why not lend some of your money to disadvantaged communities to enable them to trade their way out of poverty through schemes such as Shared Interest.

See also MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY North East for details and links to campaigns against poverty.

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