Use of AUDIT for alcohol screening among emergency room patients in Thailand

This study evaluated the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) against blood alcohol levels and medical diagnoses. The population under st udy included 695 current drinkers admitted to emergency rooms of four regio nal Thailand hospitals. The AUDIT positivity rate was 61 % among 343 patien ts who drank prior to admission and 32% among 352 patients who did not drin k alcohol before admission. Breath alcohol levels were positively associate d with AUDIT scores. The sensitivity against a previous or current alcohol- related medical diagnosis was 89%. We concluded that the AUDIT is a satisfa ctory instrument for alcohol screening in this population.