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CAGE Questionnaire

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

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