What does the CAGE acronym stand for in alcohol screening?

• A. Check, Annoyed, Gauge, Evaluate
• B. Crave, Avoid, Grudge, Eager
• C. Cut down, Annoyed with other opinions on your drinking, Guilty, Eye opener
• D. Calm down, Assess, Gauge, End

Answer: (C)

Screening for alcohol use disorders can be done quickly with a four-question tool known as CAGE. The essence is that each item targets a common sign of problematic drinking: the urge to cut down, annoyance from others' judgments about drinking, feelings of guilt, and needing an eye-opener first thing in the morning. A patient who answers yes to two or more of these items is more likely to have a problematic pattern of alcohol use and should get a fuller assessment.

The option that contains Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye opener matches the established CAGE questions. Other wordings don’t align with this screening tool, so they aren’t used in the standard CAGE acronym.