🍷 CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol)
Screen for problem drinking with the four-question CAGE questionnaire.
Clinical takeaway
≥ 2 positive answers warrants fuller assessment.
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When to use
Brief alcohol screening in clinical encounters.
How it works
One point each: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener. ≥ 2 is clinically significant.
Key points
- ≥ 2 positive answers warrants fuller assessment.
- Less sensitive for early or at-risk drinking.
- Consider AUDIT/AUDIT-C for quantity-frequency detail.
References
Decision support for licensed clinicians only; not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or local protocols.
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Felt you should Cut down? | No |
|---|---|
| Annoyed by criticism of your drinking? | No |
| Felt Guilty about drinking? | No |
| Eye-opener (drink first thing)? | No |
→CAGE0/4
- Interpretation：< 2 — lower likelihood (does not exclude risky drinking).
| Felt you should Cut down? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Annoyed by criticism of your drinking? | Yes |
| Felt Guilty about drinking? | Yes |
| Eye-opener (drink first thing)? | Yes |
→CAGE4/4
- Interpretation：≥ 2 is clinically significant — assess for alcohol use disorder.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol)?
- Screen for problem drinking with the four-question CAGE questionnaire.
- How is CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol) calculated? What is the core formula?
- One point each: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener. ≥ 2 is clinically significant.
- When is CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol) used?
- Brief alcohol screening in clinical encounters.
- What are the key clinical points for CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol)?
- ≥ 2 positive answers warrants fuller assessment. Less sensitive for early or at-risk drinking. Consider AUDIT/AUDIT-C for quantity-frequency detail.
- What are the limits and cautions when using CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol)?
- For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
- How is CAGE Questionnaire (Alcohol) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Felt you should Cut down? No, Annoyed by criticism of your drinking? No, Felt Guilty about drinking? No, Eye-opener (drink first thing)? No → Result: CAGE 0 /4（Interpretation: < 2 — lower likelihood (does not exclude risky drinking).） Inputs: Felt you should Cut down? Yes, Annoyed by criticism of your drinking? Yes, Felt Guilty about drinking? Yes, Eye-opener (drink first thing)? Yes → Result: CAGE 4 /4（Interpretation: ≥ 2 is clinically significant — assess for alcohol use disorder.）