Dr.Sharief's Medical Mnemonics

Mnemonics is an art by itself,although many dont like to use Mnemonics,I think they really help in memorising lists and several other things which appear tedious.And Medicine being a subject where there are lots of lists,mnemonics are an aid in remembering these lists. I have included only a few mnemonics;Some are good,Others are O.K.

Any body having Medical Mnemonics to add may please reach me by E-mail at: sharief1@bigfoot.com

ANTI-EPILEPTIC DRUGS HISS BOMB

Hydantoin derivatives
Iminostilbenes
Suximides
Sodium valproate
Benzodiazepines
Oxazalodiazepines
Miscellaneous
Barbiturates

SYMPTOMS OF UREMIA VG BAND HVL PPP

Vague illhealth
Generalised Weakness
Breathlessness
Anorexia
Nausea and Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Visual disturbances
Pallor
Pigmentation
Pruritis

GENERAL EXAMINATION (PICKLE)

Pallor
Icterus
Cyanosis
Clubbing(Klubbing)
Lymphadenopathy
Edema

MANAGEMENT OF STATUS EPILEPTICUS (Delhi Public Transport Corporation)

Diazepam
Phenytoin Sodium
Thiopentone
Chlormethiozole

CARDIAC MURMURS

PANSYSTOLIC (P.V.M.R T.R =PV NARASIMHA RAO)

CRESCENDO MURMURS (C.M.S)

Mitral Stenosis

DECRESCENDO MURMURS (DAR)

Aortic Regurgitation

CRESCENDO-DECRESCENDO MURMURS (C.DAS)

Aortic Stenosis

THIRD HEART SOUND (CeMeNT)

C = CCF
e
M = MR
e
N = Normal upto 30yrs
T = TR

FOURTH HEART SOUND (4 H's)

Hypertension
Heart Block
Heart Failure
Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

MID-DIASTOLIC MURMURS (M.FACT)

Mitral Stenosis
Flow Murmurs
Austin-Flint Murmurs
CAREY-COOMBS MURMUR
TRICUSPID STENOSIS

Symptoms of ORGANOPHOSPHOROUS POISONING( DUMBELS)

Diarrhoea
Urination
Miosis
Bronchorrohea,Bronchospasm,Bradycardia
Excitation of muscles,fasciculations,seizures
Lacrimation
Salivation

URINARY SUGARS (viBGYOR)

0 0% Blue
1 + 0.5% Green
2 + 1% Yellow
3 + 1.5% Orange
4 + 2% Red

ESTIMATION OF CALORIE INTAKE APPROXIMATELY

30 * Body Weight

RADIO-OPAQUE DRUGS AND TOXINS (CHIPES)

Chloral Hydrate/Condoms/Cocaine
Heavy Metals
Iodide
Psychotropics (Phenothiazines,Tricyclic antidepressants)
Enteric coated tablets
Sodium

HELP SYNDROME

Hemolysis
Elevated Liver enzymes
Platelets decreased

Major JONES criteria for Rheumatic Fever

J - Joints (Arthritis)
O - Oh! its obvious,Carditis
N - Nodules
E - Erythema marginatum
S - Sydenham's Chorea

Ossification centers of the elbow: There are two that I know of (most people use "CRITOE"):

C - Capitellum
R - Radial head
I - Internal (medial epicondyle)
T - Trochlea
O - Olecranon
E - External (lateral epicondyle)

These appear at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 years of age in order and go away two years later. The other mnemonic I know for the ossification centers is "Come Rub My Tree Of Love" where the "M" is medial epicondyle and the "L" is the lateral epicondyle.

Rat Poison "RATS PANIC" I'm sure that you'll easily remember this one!

R - Red squill
A - Arsenicals
T - Thallium
S - Strychnine
P - PNU/Phosphorus/zn Phosphide
A - Alpha naphtha thiurea (ANTU)
N - Norbormide
I - Indanediones
C - Coumadin/cholcalciferol

.Causes of ST Elevation:"ELEVATION"

E - Electrolytes
L - LBBB
E - Early Repolarization
V - Ventricular hypertrophy
A - Aneurysm
T - Treatment - Pericardiocentesis
I - Injury (AMI, contusion)
O - Osborne waves (hypothermia)
N - Non-occlusive vasospasm

Altered Mental Status: "AEIOU TIPS"

A - Alcohol/drugs
E - Endocrine
I - Insulin
O - Opiates
U - Uremia
T - Toxins/trauma
I - Infections
P - Psych/porhyria
S - SAH, shock, stroke, seizure, space occupying lesion

Non-Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema:"PONS"

P -Phosgene, paraquat, phenothiazines
O -Opioids/organophosphates
N -Nitrous dioxide
S -Salicylates

Anion Gap Acidosis: "Mudpiles"

M - Methanol
U - Uremia
D - DKA/AKA
P - Paraldehyde/phenformin
I - Iron/INH
L - Lactic acidosis
E - Ethylene glycol
S - Salicylates

.Normal Gap Acidosis: "HARDUP"

H - Hyperalimentation/hyperventilation
A - Acetazolamide
R - RTA (Renal Tubular Acidosis)
D - Diarrhea
U - Ureteral diversion
P - Pancreatic fistula/parenteral saline

Osmolar Gaps:"ME DIE"

M - Methanol
E - Ethanol
D - Diuretics (mannitol, sorbitol, glycerol)
I - Isopropanol
E - Ethylene glycol

Cholinergic OD: "SLUDGE"

S - Salivation
L - Lacrimation
U - Urination
D - Diarrhea
G - Gastric upset
E - Emesis

Concretions: "Big Mess"

B - Barbituates
I - Iron
G - Glutethemide
M - Meprobamate
E - Extended release theophylline
SS -Salicylates

Suicide Risk Factors:"Sad Persons"

S - Sex (male)
A - Age (young/elderly)
D - Depression
P - Previous attempts
E - ETOH
R - Reality testing
S - Social support
O - Organized plan
N - No spouse
S - Sickness

Henoch-Schonlein Purpura:"JARS"

J - Joints
A - Abdominal pain
R - Renal
S - Skin

Wrist Bones:

"Never Loosen Tillies Pants, Mother Might Come Home"

"She Looks Too Pretty Try To Catch Her"

"Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle"
Proximal row

S - Scaphoid
L - Lunate
T - Triquetrium
P - Pisiform

Distal row

T - Trapezium
T - Trapezoid
C - Capitate
H - Hamate

Rotator Cuff Muscles: SITS"

S -Supraspinatus
I -Infraspinatus
T -Teres minor
S -Subscapularis

.Anterior Mediastinal Mass: "4 T's"

T - Thymoma
T - Teratoma
T - Thyroid tumor/goiter
T - Terrible lymphoma

Middle Mediastinal Mass: "Habit5"

H - Hernia, hematoma
A - Aneurysm
B - Bronchogenic cyst/duplication cyst
I - Inflammation (sarcoid, histo, coccidio, TB)
T5 - Tumors (lung, lymphoma, leukemia, leiomyoma, lymph node hyperplasia)

Bilateral Hilar Adenopathy: "Please Helen Lick My Popsicle Stick"

P - Primary TB
H - Histoplasmosis
L - Lymphoma
M - Metastases
P - Pneumoconiosis
S - Sarcoidosis

Small Bowel Obstruction: "SHAVIT"

S - Stone (gallstone ileus)
H - Hernia
A - Adhesions
V - Volvulus
I - Intussusception
T - Tumor

Hypercalcemia: SHAMPOO DIRT"S

S - Sarcoidosis
H - Hyperparathypoidism, Hyperthyroidism
A - Alkali-milk syndrome
M - Metastases, myeloma
P - Paget disease
O - Osteogenesis imperfecta
O - Osteoporosis
D - Vitamin intoxication
I - Immobility
R - RTA
T - Thiazides

Tumour that go to bone: "Kinds Of Tumors Leaping Primarily To Bone"

K - Kidney
O - Ovarian
T - Testicular
L - Lung
P - Prostate
T - Thyroid
B - Breast

Syncope: "HEAD, HEART and VESS'LS"

H - hypoglycemia hypoxia
E - epilepsy
A - anxiety [the "swoon"]
D - dysfunction of brain stem [i.e. brain stem TIA]
H - heart attack
E - embolism of pulmonary artery
A - aortic obstruction [ Aortic stenosis, myxoma, IHSS ]
R - rhythm disturbance
T - tachycardia esp VT
V - vasovagal
E - ectopic i.e. hemorrhage obvious or not
S - situational [micturation, defecation...]
S - subclavial steal
L - low SVR [eg: anaphalaxis]
S - sensitive carotid sinus

Endocarditis: "FAME"

F- FEVER
A- ANEMIA
M- MURMUR
E- ENDOCARDITIS

Eosinophilia: "NAACP"

N - Neoplasm
A - Allergy
A - Addison's
C - Cirrhosis, CVD
P - Parasite (visceral larva migrans), Periarteritis nodosa

Asystole: "3 Hypo's & 3 Hyper's"

Hypoxia
Hypothermia
Hypokalemia
Hyperkalemia
Hyper H+ (Acidosis)
Hyper Rx (Drugs/OD)

Hypoglycemia: "Reexplain"

R - renal failure
EX - exogenous
P - pituitary
L - liver failure
A - alcohol
I - insulinoma/infection
N - neoplasm

Kawasaki's: "scream fever"

S - sausage fingers
C - conjunctival redness
R - rash
E- extremity involvement
A - adenopathy
M - mucosal erythema
FEVER - fever

History taking in EMS: "sample"

S - signs/symptoms
A - allergies
M - medications
P - past medical history
L - last oral intake
E - events leading to injury or illness

Pain scale: "OPQRST"

O - onset
P - provocation
Q - quality
R - radiation
S - severity
T - time

A-P-G-A-R:

A - appearance (color)
P - pulse (heart rate)
G - grimmace (reflex, irritability)
A - activity (muscle tone)
R - respiratory effort

Argyll-Robertson Pupil syphilitic pupil:

Accommodationreflex present, Pupillary reflex absent.

The five W's--post-operative fever

Wind--pneumonia, atelectasis
Water--urinary tract infection
Wound--wound infections
Wonderdrugs--especially anesthesia
Walking--walking can help reduce deep vein thromboses and pulmonary embolus.

Predisposing Conditions for Pulmonary Embolism

TOM SCHREPFER

T--trauma
O--obesity
M--malignancy
S--surgery
C--cardiac disease
H--hospitalization
R--rest (bed-bound)
E--estrogen, pregnancy, post-partum
P--past hx
F--fracture
E--elderly
R--road trip

HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS:"Anna Cycled Immediately Downhill--Gell & Goombs" or "ACID."

Type I Anaphylaxis
Type II Cytotoxic-mediated
Type III Immune-complex
Type IV Delayed hypersensitivity

WBC Count: "Never Let Mom Eat Beans" and "60, 30, 6, 3, 1"

Neutrophils 60%Lymphocytes 30%Monocytes 6%Eosinophils 3%Basophils 1:

CRANIAL NERVES:

I-optic
II-olfactory
III-oculomotor
IV-trochlear
V-trigeminal
VI-abducens
VII-facial
VIII-acoustic (vestibulocochlear)
IX-glossohrayngeal
X-vagus
XI-accessory
XII-hypoglossal

On Old Olympus Towering Tops, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops

You have I nose. You have II eyes. (I - Olfactory; II -Optic)

Oh Oh Oh ! To Touch And Feel A Girls Vagina.Ah ! Heaven.
Which Cranial Nerve is Motor/Sensory Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Bras Matter More (what cranial nerve is Motor, Sensory, or Both)

Innervation of Extraocularmotor Muscles:

LR6--Lateral rectus--> VI abductens
SO4--Superior Oblique--> IV Trochlear
3--The remaining 4 eyeball movers = III

BRANCHES OF FACIAL NERVE:

Temporal, Zygomatic, Buccal,Masseteric, Cervical

Ten Zebras Bought My Car o To Zanzibar By Motor Car

LOCATION OF THORACIC DUCT:

The duck is between two gooses (duck = thoracic duct)

2 gooses = azyGOUS and esophaGOUS

ATTACHMENTS OF CHEST MUSCLES:

A lady between two majors.

# The "lati" is between two "majors."

# Pectoralis major attaches to lateral lip of bicipital groove.
# Teres major attaches to medial lip of bicipital groove.
# Latissimus dorsi attaches to the floor of bicipital groove.

INNERVATION OF PENIS:

Parasympathetic puts it up;
Sympathetic spurts it out
"S2, 3, 4 keep the penis off the floor" # Innervation of the penis by branches of the pudendal nerve, derived from spinal cord levels S2-4.

AORTIC BRANCHES: ABC'S Aortic arch gives off the Bracheiocephalic trunk,the left Common Carotid, and the left Subclavian artery

ORDER OF THINGS IN THIGH:

"NAVEL" o nerve, artery, vein, empty space, lymphatics

"One heart two lungs" beta receptor activity:

Beta-1 primarily on heart;airway is beta-2 receptors

CAUSES OF ACUTE PANCREATITIS: "GET SMASH'D"

Gallstones,
Ethanol,
Trauma,
Steroids,
Mumps,
Autoimmune(PAN),
Scorpion bites,
Hyperlipidemia,
Drugs(azathioprine, diuretics)

You can reach me by E-mail at: sharief1@bigfoot.com