AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) Calculator

questionnaire

How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?

How many standard drinks on a typical drinking day?

How often do you have 6 or more drinks on one occasion?

How often in the past year have you found you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?

How often in the past year have you failed to do what was normally expected because of drinking?

How often in the past year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going?

How often in the past year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

How often in the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because of drinking?

Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?

Has a relative, friend, doctor, or other health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?

✓ when to use

Use for comprehensive alcohol use assessment when AUDIT-C (3-item) is positive or when a more detailed evaluation is needed. The full AUDIT provides dependence assessment and harm evaluation that AUDIT-C does not capture. Recommended by WHO, NICE, and USPSTF for alcohol screening.

✗ when not to use

For brief initial screening, AUDIT-C (3 items) is often sufficient and faster. The full AUDIT takes 2–3 minutes. Items 9 and 10 have only 3 response options (0/2/4), not 5 — ensure correct scoring. Social desirability bias may lead to underreporting.

clinical pearls

The AUDIT has three domains: consumption (Q1–3 = AUDIT-C), dependence symptoms (Q4–6), and alcohol-related harms (Q7–10). High scores in Q4–6 specifically suggest dependence and should trigger specialist referral.
Items 9 and 10 are scored 0/2/4 (not 0/1/2/3/4). This is a common scoring error that can significantly affect the total.
AUDIT ≥20 suggests possible alcohol dependence. These patients may need medically supervised detoxification and should be referred to specialist alcohol services rather than managed with brief intervention alone.
The 'morning drinking' item (Q6) is a classic dependence feature (relief drinking). A positive response to this item alone should raise significant concern about dependence, regardless of total score.
In perioperative settings, AUDIT ≥8 should prompt assessment for alcohol withdrawal risk. Patients with harmful use or dependence undergoing surgery may develop withdrawal 24–72 hours post-operatively.

✓ when to use

✗ when not to use

clinical pearls

The AUDIT has three domains: consumption (Q1–3 = AUDIT-C), dependence symptoms (Q4–6), and alcohol-related harms (Q7–10). High scores in Q4–6 specifically suggest dependence and should trigger specialist referral.
Items 9 and 10 are scored 0/2/4 (not 0/1/2/3/4). This is a common scoring error that can significantly affect the total.
AUDIT ≥20 suggests possible alcohol dependence. These patients may need medically supervised detoxification and should be referred to specialist alcohol services rather than managed with brief intervention alone.
The 'morning drinking' item (Q6) is a classic dependence feature (relief drinking). A positive response to this item alone should raise significant concern about dependence, regardless of total score.
In perioperative settings, AUDIT ≥8 should prompt assessment for alcohol withdrawal risk. Patients with harmful use or dependence undergoing surgery may develop withdrawal 24–72 hours post-operatively.

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test)

questionnaire

✓ when to use

✗ when not to use

clinical pearls

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