title: Validity of the Paddington Alcohol Test in an Australian Emergency Department†.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to validate a modified version of the Paddington Alcohol Test for use in the Australian emergency department (ED) setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional survey was used to screen patients attending an Australian tertiary hospital ED. Data were collected over a three-month period at randomly allocated time periods and days. Consenting participants were screened using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a modified-for-Australia version of the Paddington Alcohol Test (AusPAT). The association between the two tools was investigated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of AusPAT at various AUDIT cut-off scores and by gender and age group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample comprised 637 ED attendees. Their mean age was 49.9 (SD 20.0) years with a mean AUDIT score of 5.21 (SD 6.58). Most (73.2%) consumed alcohol, and a quarter was AusPAT-positive (n = 153, 24.0%). AusPAT demonstrated a moderate fit with AUDIT at a cut-off score of 8 (Kappa = 0.63, P < 0.001). At this cut-off 23.4% (n = 149) were identified by AUDIT as problematic drinkers. AusPAT sensitivity was 72.5% (95% CI 65.3-79.7) with a specificity of 90.8% (95% CI 88.3-93.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that AusPAT was moderately well associated with AUDIT. When used universally in the ED setting, its sensitivity and specificity were moderate.
authors: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University, 1100 Nudgee Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4014, Australia Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4032, Australia paul.fulbrook@acu.edu.au.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Fulbrook
authors: Nursing Research and Practice Development Centre, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4032, Australia.
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Lawrence
authors: School of Public Health, Tropical Medical and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors: Kerrianne
authors: K
authors: Watt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult