hi people,

big confusion, when to apply CAGE for alcohol, and when to counsel to reduce intake.

my understanding is as follows:
for male, pt. says "i drink 2 beers(or whiskey, or wine)" , i apply cage, or is it 3 for males????

for females, if more than 1 drink ... apply cage

its too confusing for me... no clear answer, plz help guys

You do NOT have to ask the CAGE questions in the following pts:

MALE: 2 drinks/day (or average of 14/week)

FEMALE: 1 drink/day (or an average of 7/week)

However, if the pt is drinking more than the socially acceptable amounts (>1 drink/day in a female and >2 drinks/day in a male), you should ask the CAGE questions. If pt says yes to 2 or more of the questions, the pt most likely has ETOH abuse or dependence problem.

Definition of a drink:

1 shot of hard liquor = 1.5 oz
1 glass of wine = 5 oz
1 glass/can of beer = 12 oz

CAGE questionnaire: http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/CAGE_questionaire.pdf

Goodluck!

more than 3-4 for males
more than 1-2 females
if concentrated then ask CAGE