Screening for problem drinking in older primary care patients
Article Abstract:
A small percentage of elderly people appear to have a drinking problem and it may not be diagnosed using the standard diagnostic tool, the CAGE questionnaire. The CAGE questionnaire asks people if they have thought about cutting back on drinking, are annoyed when others suggest doing so, feel guilty about drinking or must have a drink upon awakening. A survey of 5,065 elderly patients of 88 primary care physicians found that 9% of men and 2% of women drank more than 21 drinks per week and 15% of men and 12% of women drank more than 14 or 7 drinks per week, respectively. The CAGE questionnaire did not identify half of the heavy drinkers.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Targeted screening for childhood lead exposure in a low prevalence area - Salt Lake County, Utah, 1995-1996
Article Abstract:
Targeted screening can identify children at risk of lead poisoning. Between Jan-Oct, 1995, the Salt Lake City-County Health Department screened 5,168 children seen at WIC clinics for elevated blood lead. About 2% had levels 10 micrograms per deciliter or greater, levels that can cause health problems. Many of the children lived within a small area of central Salt Lake City. Further study in this area found that many houses had been built before 1950. The health department asked all primary care physicians in the city to begin screening children for elevated blood lead levels.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Screening Adolescents for Sexually Transmitted Infections
Article Abstract:
Testing sexually active teenage girls twice a year for chlamydia infection could be cost-effective in the long run. A 1998 study found a high rate of chlamydia infection in teenage girls. New diagnostic tests allow patients to collect specimens in the privacy of their own home and send them to a laboratory. However, many teens may worry about confidentiality. In addition, many third-party payers may not be willing to pay for semi-annual testing. However, complications of chlamydia such as pelvic inflammatory disease cost an estimated $2.4 billion in the US each year.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Strengthening primary care. Pain signals. A healthier future
- Abstracts: Scheduling for productivity, profitability and stress control. Volunteering your services
- Abstracts: There are not enough opportunities for nurses to develop their roles. The seeds of good health: For impoverished farmers in remote areas of India the obstacles to good health are manifold