Does the alcohol use disorders identification test-consumption identify the same patient population as the full 10-item alcohol use disorders identification test?

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a computer-based 3-item version (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption [AUDIT-C]) of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) identifies alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the same patients as the full 10-item version in 809 women and 747 men in an anesthesiology preoperative assessment clinic. According to cutoffs used (

Audit: 5-8 points, AUDIT-C: 4-6 points), rate of disagreement (AUDIT-positive and AUDIT-C-negative or vice versa) ranged between 4% and 31% (men) and between 4% and 19% (women). In male patients, 15% were positive for both the AUDIT (≥8 points) and the AUDIT-C (≥6 points), 7% were positive for AUDIT-C only, and 4% were positive for AUDIT only.

New strategies to detect alcohol use disorders in the preoperative assessment clinic of a German university hospital.

Background: Although alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have enormous public health consequences, the rate of diagnosis of AUDs remains unsatisfactorily low. The primary aim of this study was to compare the detection of AUDs by anesthesiologists in a large preoperative assessment clinic to that by computerized self-assessment of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Secondary outcome measures were to compare the actions taken by anesthesiologists upon a finding of an AUD.

The usefulness of direct ethanol metabolites in assessing alcohol intake in nonintoxicated male patients in an emergency room setting.

Background: A major part of medical pathology in internal medicine is associated with chronic alcoholism. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether screening for Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) can be improved through determination of direct ethanol metabolites compared to traditional biological state markers, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and additional self-reports beyond the detection time period of a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

Methods: A total of 74 blood alcohol negative male patients who presented at the emergency room with either thoracic or gastrointestinal complaints were included.

The effect of stimulating versus nonstimulating catheters for continuous interscalene plexus blocks in short-term pain management.

Study Objective: To investigate whether placement, and use of stimulating catheters for interscalene brachial plexus blocks improves short-term postoperative analgesia.

Design: Controlled, prospective, randomized, pilot study.

Setting: University hospital.