The frequency of smoking and problem drinking among general hospital inpatients in Brazil - using the AUDIT and Fagerström questionnaires.
BACKGROUND
Although the CAGE questionnaire is one of the most widely used alcohol screening instruments, it has been criticized for not identifying people who are drinking heavily or who have alcohol related problems but do not as yet show symptoms of alcohol dependence. The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) questionnaire was developed by WHO as a screening instrument specifically designed to identify problem drinkers, as well as those who were already dependent on alcohol.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to use the AUDIT and Fagerström questionnaires in a general hospital inpatient population to measure the frequency of problem drinking and nicotine dependence, and to see if levels varied between medical speciality.


METHODS
Retrospective cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Federally funded public teaching hospital.


METHODS
275 inpatients from both genders.


METHODS
Socio-demographic data, AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence.


RESULTS
We interviewed 275 inpatients, 49% of whom were men and 51% women. Thirty-four patients were identified as "cases" by the Audit questionnaire; 22% of the male patients and 3% of the females. Just over 21% of inpatients were current smokers. The gastroenterology (26%) and general medicine (16%) inpatient units had the largest number of individual cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Only by knowing the prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence and nicotine dependence in a general hospital can we evaluate the need for a specialized liaison service to identify and treat these patients.
Figlie
N B
NB
Alcohol and Drug Research Unit, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Pillon
S C
SC
Dunn
J
J
Laranjeira
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires