Smart MD : Medical Mnemonics & Study Techniques

Mnemonic: Definition of Metabolic Syndrome

2010-01-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

So once again I find the rare time to post something from my busy residency schedule. I hear the word "Metabolic Syndrome" so often that a quick way of remembering the definition criteria became necessary. Think this syndrome everytime you see an overweight individual with central obesity.Based on the ATP III criteria, Metabolic Syndrome is established if 3 of 5 criteria are met: And what better

Mnemonic: Clinical Definition - Chronic Constipation

2008-12-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Those with clean toilets in their homes are either very sanitary people or ......constipated enough to hardly use them ;-) The Rome II criteria is a good clinical tool to establish whether a person has chronic constipation And What better mnemonic than the word "SHIT"S - Straining for at least 25% of the times H - Hard Stools at least 25% of the timesI - Incomplete Evacuation sensation at least

Causes of Dysphagia: Mnemonic

2008-10-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

Note: These are causes of food getting stuck during the involuntary esophageal phase - NOT the initial voluntary pharyngeal phase of swallowing.Esophageal problems causing Dysphagia or Difficulty in swallowing are classically divided into Mechanical and Motility disorders, the significance being that Mechanical causes result in dysphagia first to Solids and then to liquids, whereas Motility

Make Biochemistry Fun With Animations

2008-03-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

There are three things that make studying Biochemistry a particular crappy experience:- Inability to visualize the molecules and pathway in real time- Lack of an overall physiological context while being too horse-visioned about the particular pathway in focus, which pushes a reader to memorize by rote rather than contextual logic- Notes can be downright dull & soporific !All of which add to the

Managing Breaks during USMLE Step 1, 2 CK & 3

2008-03-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

How many of you noticed that while you thoroughly enjoy a head massage that comes from your barber or your significant other - it never feels as good when you do it yourself !Somethings are better if it came from others, even if you know how to do it - and that is my lame premise for writing about something seemingly as basic as managing breaks during the USMLEs ;-)Break management is seldom a

A Video to Wish yourself Luck on the USMLE ;-)

2008-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

After checking out my own sucky & crappy attempt to make a video ad, I lay my eyes on this video of a guy wishing his pal good luck on the USMLEs - which is pretty refreshing :-)Happy Studying and Good luck !

Tips to Enhance USMLE Study Productivity

2008-02-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

It's not that you don't know most or maybe all of these, but revisiting some tips and having them told to you by someone else, always helps ...1. Identify or Recognize your "Happy Hours" for Studying:All of us have a time of the day that we enjoy studying the most: for some it's the fresh mornings, for some its the post-nap afternoons, for some the late nights - make full use of those charmed

Factors Precipitating Hepatic Encephalopathy

2007-12-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Consider the liver like a visa officer who approves entry for incoming substances from the GI Track. For 'Toxins', the visas are rejected, they are arrested, detained for questioning and either directly destroyed or 'rehabilitated' to another form and excreted - like Ammonia is thrown out in the form of Urea.When toxic substances (especially Ammonia) are either in relative excess (diseased liver

The "ABCD" Mnemonic for Hypertension Treatment

2007-11-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

Non-pharmacological Therapy:(You can use these points for counseling for Hypertension patients on the USMLE Step 2 CS Test )A - Alcohol Control (Less than 1 oz per day)B - Body Weight ControlC - Cigarette Smoking cessationD - Diet Changes (Less Na+, More K+, Ca+, Mg+, Less Saturated Fats)E - ExercisePharmacological TherapyA - ACE Inhibitors / Angiotensin Receptor BlockersB - Beta BlockersC -

Mnemonic: Metformin Contraindications

2007-10-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Lactic Acidosis is the most dreaded and well known adverse drug reaction associated with Metformin, a drug used in Type 2 Diabetes. Hence, it's important to be aware of conditions that can increase the possibility of Lactic Acidosis...Lets use the word "LACTIC" to our advantage to remember these conditions ...L - Liver DiseaseA - AlcoholismC - Creatinine Levels High (renal clearance low)T - (CT

Making Mnemonics More Fun As Desktop Wallpapers

2007-10-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

Just Experimenting ...If Something is always front of your eyes, remembering that may become a reflex ;-)Hope I get feedback on this from you all. If its good, lets have more ! Creative Submissions Welcome !A Sample Computer Desktop Wallpaper using my MORPHINE MnemonicAfter you open the picture, right click and select "Set as Desktop Background"And here's another one for the ACE-Inhibitors S/Es

Bacteria: Fermenting & Neisseria

2007-09-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

Which Neisseria Ferments What ?Maltose, Glucose and Sucrose fermentation is a common assessment criteria to identify and differentiate between bacterial populations !Here's a good way to remember this for Nisseria spp. N. MeninGitidiS has letters M, G and S in it's spelling - Ferments ALL three sugars - Maltose, Glucose and Sucrose ,whereas N. Gonorrhoea only has G - Ferments only Glucose !:-)

CAUSES: ACUTE PANCREATITIS

2007-09-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Questions on Acute Pancreatitis are pretty common on the USMLE / PLAB / AMC etc.Here's a stupid way to remember the most common causes of acute pancreatitis"BACTEROID"B - Biliary Obstruction (Most Common Cause)A - AlcoholC - Calcium (Hypercalcemia)T - Trauma + Triglycerides (Hypretriglyceridemia)ER - ERCP (as a complication)O - Others....I - Infections (e.g. Mumps)D - Drugs (Azathioprine,

White Skin Patch : Remembering Differential Diagnosis

2007-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Things to consider when you see a White Patch on the skin"V-PATCH"V - VitilligoP - Pityriasis alba + post-inflammatory DepigmentationA - Age related depigmentationT - Tinea Versicolor + Tuberous Sclerosis(Ashleaf Macule)C - Congenital (BirthMark)H - Hansens Disease (Leprosy Patch)

Mnemonic for Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

2007-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

The acronym DKA gives us all !Diagnosis:D - Diabetes with Blood sugar more than225 mg %K - KetosisA - Acidosis ( pH Less than 7.2), Anion Gap IncreasedMain Clinical Signs / Symptoms:D - Diuresis, Delirium / Dizziness, DehydrationK - Kussmaul Breathing, Ketotic BreathA - Abdominal Pain DKA Precipitators (All S and S for Sugar Sugar Sugar !) :S - SepsisS - SurgeryS - Sugar High due to Skipped

Remembering Clinical Features of CUSHING SYNDROME

2007-09-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

CUSH - gives us signs seenC - Central Obesity + peripheral wastingU - Unusual brUisingS - StraiaeH - Hypertension + HyperglycemiaI - Impotence (relate to Amenorrhea in Females)N - Nothing ;-)G - Growth retardationThis Mnemonic helps us in remembering the signs that are commonly seen in clinical vignettes pointing to a diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome...

PENICILLINASE RESISTANT PENICILLINS

2007-09-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Considering that the pronunciation of the word 'penicillin' does hide the way the male genital organ is also pronounced, it should not be too difficult to be reminded of a CONDOM ;-) C - CloxacilinO - OxacillinN - NafcillinD - DicloxacillinO - O is already used man !M - MethicillinThese group of Antibiotics are to be used when cover for Staph. aureus infections are to be provided...

Remembering Fitz Hugh Curtis Syndrome

2007-09-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Remember the F.H.C. syndrome as Fibrotically-fixed Hepatic Capsule : this happens due to fibrotic adhesions that develop around the liver capsule following Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women...This is a rare complication of PID due to Gonococcus or Chlamydia...And in the process do not forget that FHC originally stood for Fitz Hugh Curtis ..lol

Remembering Actions of PTH

2007-09-29T19:29:00.001-07:00

PTH is also :P - PhosphateT - Throwing H - HormoneYeah ! That's a cool way to remember what PTH does to your body ! It throws out Phosphate (read as decreases blood phosphate) while it has the opposite effect on Calcium ...Whereas Calcitonin 'tones' down the Calcium levels in the body (read as decreases Ca levels)....Hmm...I don't think you will ever forget how these two act ;-)

CARDIOMYOPATHY : TYPES AND CAUSES

2007-09-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Cardiomyopathies are disorders primarily affecting the Cardiac Muscle...Lets say disorders which make the cardiac muscle unusually HARD , and we have a mnemonic for the Types of Cardiomyopathy:H - HypertrophicA - AssociativeR - RestrictiveD - DilatedTaking a step further : Causes of Dilated Cardiomyopathy : "DILATE"D - Drugs like DoxorobucinI - Inflammation / Infection of the Myocardium (

Jaundice Syndromes : Mechanism

2006-04-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Gilberts & Criggler-Najjar : Glucoronide Conjugation Defect(hence jaundice is mainly by unconjugated bile)*********************Dubin-Johnson & Rotors : Defective Removal of conjugated bile from hepatic cells(jaundice mainly by conjugated bile)Ok - I agree it ain't THAT good a mnemonic ...just trying ;-)

CONDITIONS WITH LOW ESR !

2006-04-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

What does Low Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate mean in simple English ? Implies that these Red Blood Cells Precipitate Slowly ...CPS (Cells Precipitate Slowly) Helps us remember conditions with low ESR :C - Congestive Cardiac FailureP - Polycythemia veraS - Sickle cell disease

TURP Complications...

2006-04-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Mnemonic for complications of Transurethral Resection of the ProstateMost Common Complication = Retrograde Ejaculation!T - TUR Syndrome*U - UTI, Urethral Strictures & U. IncontinenceR - Retrograde EjaculationP - Preforation of the Prostate Capsule !*TUR Syndrome = A hypervolumic, Hyponatremic state with nausea, confusion, HT and visual problems, caused due to excess absoprtion of hypotonic

SIDE-EFFECTS: ACE INHIBITORS

2006-04-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

The first ACE Inhibitor "CAPTOPRIL" gives us the mnemonic for the side-effects of this important class of drugs. Knowledge of these side-effects are important on all USMLE Steps, besides clinical practice !C - CoughA - AngioedemaP - Potassium Levels IncreaseT - Taste DisturbancesO - Orthostatic Hypotension + First Dose HypotensionP - Pregnancy ContraindicatedR - Renal Failure in Renal Artery

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

2006-04-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

DIAGNOSIS"ARDS"A : Atrial (left) Pressure Normal i.e.Pulmonary Capillary Wedge PressureR : Ratio of PO2 / FiO2 <>D : Diffuse Bilateral Pulmonary Infiltrates (Xray)S : Symptoms of Respiratory FailureCOMMON PRECIPITATORS OF ARDS "ARDS"A : Aspiration, Accidents (Trauma)R : Radiation ExposureD : Drowning (Near-Drowning), DIC, DrugsS : Sepsis (Most Common), ShockMANAGEMENT"STOP"S : Sepsis control,