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Comparative Study
. 2009 Aug;34(8):668-74.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.03.038. Epub 2009 Apr 2.

Brief screens for detecting alcohol use disorder among 18-20 year old young adults in emergency departments: Comparing AUDIT-C, CRAFFT, RAPS4-QF, FAST, RUFT-Cut, and DSM-IV 2-Item Scale

Thomas M Kelly  1 , John E Donovan, Tammy Chung, Oscar G Bukstein, Jack R Cornelius
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Brief screens for detecting alcohol use disorder among 18-20 year old young adults in emergency departments: Comparing AUDIT-C, CRAFFT, RAPS4-QF, FAST, RUFT-Cut, and DSM-IV 2-Item Scale

Thomas M Kelly et al. Addict Behav. 2009 Aug.

Abstract

Background: This study compared six of the briefest screening instruments for detecting DSM-IV-defined Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among older adolescents treated in Emergency Departments (ED).

Methods: The AUDIT-C, the RAPS4-QF, the FAST, the CRAFFT, the RUFT-Cut, and 2-Items from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of the American Psychiatric Association [American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders, (1994) (DSM-IV). 4th ed. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association] criteria for AUD (heretofore referred to as the DSM-IV 2-Item Scale) were evaluated against the criterion of a current DSM-IV diagnosis of either alcohol abuse or dependence. The instruments were administered to 181 alcohol-using older adolescents (57% males; age range 18-20 years) in an ED and compared using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) analyses against the criterion of a current DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence.

Results: Of these instruments, the DSM-IV 2-Item Scale performed best for identifying AUD (88% sensitivity and 90% specificity), followed by the FAST and the AUDIT-C.

Conclusions: Two items from the DSM-IV criteria for AUD performed best for identifying ED-treated older adolescents with alcohol use disorders. The FAST and AUDIT-C performed well, but are longer and more difficult to score in the hectic environment of the Emergency Department.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient Flow Chart for ED Study and Follow-Up Study
Figure 2
Figure 2
ROC Curves for the AUDIT-C, the CRAFFT, the FAST, the RUFT-Cut, the RAPS-QF, and the DSM-IV 2-Item Scale
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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