‘I’m sober, Doctor, really’: Best biomarkers for underreported alcohol use
Current Psychiatry. 2008 September;07(09):15-16,19-22,27
September 1, 2008|Current Psychiatry
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When and how to use highly specific combinations to assess withdrawal risk.
Related Resources
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Data/Statistical Tables. www.niaaa.nih.gov/Resources/DatabaseResources/QuickFacts.
- Maisto SA, Connors GJ, Allen JP. Contrasting self-report screens for alcohol problems: a review. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1995;19(6):1510-6.
- Coulton S, Drummond C, James D, et al. Opportunistic screening for alcohol use disorders in primary care: comparative study. BMJ 2006;332:511-7.
Bottom line
Because CDT—the most accurate biomarker—is not available at most hospitals, we recommend using combinations of other measures to detect unreported recent alcohol consumption. If GGT and MCV are elevated, GGT is elevated and AST:ALT is >2:1, or MCV is elevated and AST:ALT is >2:1, consider initiating alcohol withdrawal precautions.
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge Daiana Radac, BA, a third-year medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School, for her contributions to this article.
