1. Mohammed Khaledur Rahman| Student at King’s College London
GKT Medical School
26th
March -
09th June
ROUGHLY 50 MEDICAL MNEMONICS
2. All my medical mnemonics can be found at
Sites.google.com/site/gktmedicalstudent
www.facebook.com/KhaledurMedicalMnemonics
Disclaimer: Although all effort has been made to ensure the information found in this booklet is
correct and accurate. I cannot take any responsibility for any form of harm resulting from this
mnemonic booklet.
3. Contents
Cardiovascular.........................................................................................................................................4
Atrioventricular Valves........................................................................................................................4
Cardio Exam: .......................................................................................................................................4
Malar flush......................................................................................................................................4
Mitral valve: ....................................................................................................................................4
COarctation of the aorta = COngenital ...............................................................................................4
Heart Rate...........................................................................................................................................4
ISChaemia ...........................................................................................................................................4
Drugs.......................................................................................................................................................4
Antacids: .............................................................................................................................................4
AntiBiotics...........................................................................................................................................5
ASpirin:................................................................................................................................................5
Calcium channel blockers (CCB)..........................................................................................................5
Penicillin..............................................................................................................................................5
PharmacoDynamincs and pharmacokinetics......................................................................................5
Proton Pump Inhibitors.......................................................................................................................5
Drugs ending in -PRazole are PRoton pump inhibitors e.g. Omeprazole (Losec),
lansoprazole (Zoton), pantoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole (Nexium)............................5
ECG..........................................................................................................................................................5
Electrolytes .............................................................................................................................................6
Hypomagnesaemia And Hypokalaemia..............................................................................................6
Endocrinology .........................................................................................................................................6
Diabetes: Type 1 vs. Type 2.................................................................................................................6
Epidemiology...........................................................................................................................................6
Gastro......................................................................................................................................................6
CROhn's disease..................................................................................................................................6
dysphaSia and dysphaGia ...................................................................................................................6
Small Intestine.....................................................................................................................................6
Immunology............................................................................................................................................7
Flu vs. cold...........................................................................................................................................7
Neutrophils .........................................................................................................................................7
Microbiology...........................................................................................................................................7
Baby with a group B strep infection....................................................................................................7
4. Cocci....................................................................................................................................................7
Miscellaneous .........................................................................................................................................8
Anaemia..............................................................................................................................................8
Auscultation........................................................................................................................................8
Calculating BMI ...................................................................................................................................8
Parenchyma vs. Stroma: .....................................................................................................................9
Lungs (& The Heart) ............................................................................................................................9
Neuro ......................................................................................................................................................9
Epilepsy:..............................................................................................................................................9
Upper Motor Neurone Lesion.............................................................................................................9
Ophthalmology .......................................................................................................................................9
Cone vs. Rods......................................................................................................................................9
Refraction of Light...............................................................................................................................9
Respiratory..............................................................................................................................................9
Asthma Aetiology (E)'s = .....................................................................................................................9
FEV1/FVC...........................................................................................................................................10
Hoarseness........................................................................................................................................10
Lungs .................................................................................................................................................10
Pneumonia:...........................................................................................................................................10
Investigations....................................................................................................................................10
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae.................................................................................................................10
Respiratory Failure Type...................................................................................................................11
5. Cardiovascular
Atrioventricular Valves
arrange in alphabetical order and match accordingly.
Left atrioventricular valve, Right atrioventricular valve
Bicuspid/Mitral valve, Tricuspid valve
Therefore Left atrioventricular valve = Bicuspid/Mitral valve
Right atrioventricular valve = Tricuspid valve
* mitraL = Left atrioventricular valve
Cardio Exam:
Malar flush
Malar flush = Mitral Stenosis
Mitral valve:
MitraL listen with stethoscope’s belL
COarctation of the aorta = COngenital
Heart Rate
INcreases during Inspiration
ISChaemia:
intracellular levels in the heart
Increase in Sodium during ischaemia,
followed by increase in Calcium during reperfusion
Drugs
Antacids:
Aluminium-based (e.g. Al-hydroxide),
Magnesium based (e.g. Mg-trisilicate),
MiXed (e.g. MaaloX)
6. AntiBiotics
kills Bacteria, no effect against viruses or fungi
ASpirin:
Absorbed in the Stomach
Calcium channel blockers (CCB)
Cancels vasoConstriction therefore vasodilates.
Penicillin
Penicillin Based Antibiotics:
Penicillin based antibiotics end in -(i/a)cillin
PharmacoDynamincs and pharmacokinetics
PharmacoDynamincs = DRUGs effect on the body
therefore Pharmacokinteics = effect of body on drug (e.g. metabolism of drug)
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Drugs ending in -PRazole are PRoton pump inhibitors e.g. Omeprazole (Losec), lansoprazole (Zoton),
pantoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole (Nexium).
ECG
QRS complex (QRS = 3 letters) 3 squares wide
qrS = Should be leSS than 3 Small squares wide
Q-T interval (Q-T two letters) should noT be more than Two large squares in duration.
T (T for Two) wave should noT be more than TWO large squares tall.
A Z:
QRS before (QT or T) in alphabetical order, therefore QRS is small squares and QT or T is large
squares
7. Electrolytes
Hypomagnesaemia And Hypokalaemia
"serum magnesium concentrations should be normalised, as hypomagnesaemia makes hypokalaemia
difficult or impossible to correct".
(M)g before (P)otassium when in alphabetical order
M comes before K+ in M K Rahman!
Endocrinology
Diabetes: Type 1 vs. Type 2
the number 2 is bigger than 1 therefore patients with type 2 diabetes often overweight
1 is smaller than 2 therefore type 1 are younger (usually <30) and type two are older (usually >30)
Epidemiology
incidence vs. prevalence
iNcideNce = New cases
Prevalence = Proportion of population
PREvalence = how sPREad across the population
Gastro
CROhn's disease
can occur anywhere aCROss the GI tract from mouth to anus
dysphaSia and dysphaGia
S=speech
G=Gastro = i.e. swallowing
Small Intestine
Six to Seven metres
the only numbers that begin with S are numbers to do with 6 or 7. therefore the Small intestine is
Six or Seven metres.
8. Immunology
Flu vs. cold
which one is a stuffy nose more common in?
flu = 3 letters
cold = 4 letters
nose = 4 letters
therefore runny and stuffy nose is more common in cold.
Neutrophils
NEUtrophils - first to respond to a NEW problem in immunology.
"neutrophils are one of the first-responders of inflammatory cells to migrate towards the site of
inflammation" (wiki)
Microbiology
Baby with a group B strep infection
Baby needs to be treated with penicillin on birth
Cocci
cock - slang for Penis
any bacteria with the word cocci = Gram Positive cocci
Yeast – Cryptococcus,
watch out for INFORMAL names for microorganisms that DONT fit this pattern such as
gonococcus and meningococcus
9. Miscellaneous
Anaemia
mIcrocytic = Iron deficiency
mIcro vs. mAcro
Auscultation
AUSCULTATION
Low pitch noise - listen with the beLL
High pitch listen with the dIapHraGm
Calculating BMI
Weight (kg) / Height2
(Metres)
Image of Carrying weight (world) on top of shoulders.
Therefore Weight goes on top of height in the formula.
10. Parenchyma vs. Stroma:
Supporting Tissue = STroma
therefore parenchyma = functional part of organ
Lungs (& The Heart)
effusion in lung = EF off = F.Off = swear word = lung pushes heart away
COLlapse = heart is pulled towards lungs = COmes Closer
Neuro
Epilepsy:
PROdrome: PRecedes the seizure (is not part of the seizure)
(A)ura: (A)ware of the "feeling" during the seizure
Upper Motor Neurone Lesion
uPPer motor neurone lesion effects the oPPosite side of the body to the lesion.
Ophthalmology
Cone vs. Rods
(C)ones = (C)olour vision and (C)entral vision.
Plus: (C)ones mainly confined to (C)entral yellow spot (macula)
Refraction of Light
The refraction of light can be emmetropic (normal), myopic (short sighted) and hypermetropic (long-
sighted).
H comes before M in alphabetical order.
and L comes before S in alphabetical order.
therefore when arranged in alphabetical order:
(H)ypermetropic is (L)ong-sighted
(M)yopic is (S)hort-sighted.
Hypermetropic is a Longer word than Myopic which is Shorter
Respiratory
Asthma Aetiology (E)'s =
IgE: Atopy is the term used in individuals who readily develop immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies
against common Environmental antigens.
11. FEV1/FVC
FEV1/FVC is in alphabetical order
FEV1/FVC
Obstructive comes before Restrictive in alphabetical order.
therefore obstructive is less than 70%
and restrictive is more than 80%.
Hoarseness
Hoarseness = Horse = Horse in Chess moves in the shape of an L
Hoarseness = horse= L shape = L words below.
Hoarseness in respiratory disease may be due to damage to the (L)eft recurrent (L)aryngeal nerve by
(L)ung cancer at the (L)eft hilum. The (L)eft vocal cord cannot adduct to the midline, causing a
prolonged, (L)ow-pitched and "bovine" cough.
(Info taken from Macleod's Clinical Examination, pg. 164)
Lungs
arrange alphanumerically
Arrange in Alphabetical Order: Left Lung, Right Lung
Arrange lobes in Ascending Order: 2 lobes, 3 Lobes
When arranged in such order they match, i.e. Left lung has 2 lobes and right lung has 3 lobes.
Pneumonia:
Investigations
Patients admitted to hospital require investigations to identify the cause and severity of the
pneumonia:
Serology: some organisms can be diagnosed by detection of a raised IgM antibody
by immunoflourescent tests e.g. Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
commonly presents in young adults with generalised features such as headaches and Malaise
May precede chest symptoms by 1 - 5 days
Treatment is with Macrolides e.g. erythroMycin, or clarithroMycin or azithroMycin for 7-10 days.
Extra pulmonary complications will occasionally dominate the clinical picture:
Myocarditis, Meningoencephalitis, erythema Multiforme and haemolytic anaemia.
(info from Baby K&C pg. 536-7)
12. Respiratory Failure Type
Type 1 PaO2 <8kPa PaCO2 <6.5
Type 2 PaO2 <8kPa PaCO2 >6.5
Type 1 - ONE gas Oxygen is abnormal i.e. PaO2 <8kPA
Type 2 - TWO gases are abnormal PaO2 (i.e. O2) and PaCO2 (CO2)
CO2 comes before O2 in alphabetical order. Therefore CO2 is different in both types.
1 is smaller than and comes before 2 in numerical order.
Type 1 CO2 is smaller than 6.5
Type 2 CO2 is greater than 6.5