Abstract
When used simultaneously, are laboratory and psychosocial methods of screening helpful to detect alcoholism in general practice? To examine this issue, systematic screening with a self-administered Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and measurement of the plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase level was offered to 435 clients at a family medicine clinic. Whenever a positive finding was obtained the client was free to undergo a more detailed evaluation to confirm the diagnosis. A total of 200 subjects (126 women, 74 men) agreed to undergo screening. The results do not appear to lead to practical consequences among women, in whom no case was identified. In contrast, in the male population a rate of first detection of 9.5% (seven cases) should encourage such screening for alcoholism in family medicine.
- Copyright © 1990 by Canadian Medical Association