Browse JACCOL

7 true ribs, 3 false ribs, 2 floating ribs

A memory aid for true, false and floating ribs.

Apical, Posterior, Anterior; Lateral, Medial; Superior, Medial, Anterior, Lateral, Posterior basal

A mnemonic for the ten bronchopulmonary segments of the right lung.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Aneurysm of abdominal aorta; risk of rupture if greater than 5.5 centimetres

Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure

A structured approach to assessing an acutely unwell patient.

Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure, treating as you go

A memory aid for the structured assessment of an acutely unwell patient.

Coeliac at T12, superior mesenteric at L1, renals at L2, inferior mesenteric at L3, bifurcation at L4

A memory aid for the branches of the abdominal aorta and their vertebral levels.

Usually infrarenal, palpable above the umbilicus, expansile rather than pulsatile

A memory aid for the usual location of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Prostitutes Cause Sagging Swollen Red Testicles Living In Sin

A mnemonic for the order of aortic branches from the diaphragm to the bifurcation.

Midline through the linea alba, gridiron at McBurney's point, Kocher for the gallbladder, Pfannenstiel for the pelvis

A memory aid for common abdominal incisions and the structures they respect.

Nodes follow the arteries, coeliac, superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric groups

A memory aid for the nodal groups draining the abdominal viscera.

Bowel gas pattern, then solid organs, bones and calcification

A memory aid for reading a plain abdominal radiograph.

Superior and inferior epigastric arteries meet within the rectus sheath

A memory aid for the arteries supplying the anterior abdominal wall.

Skin, Camper's and Scarpa's fascia, three muscle layers, transversalis fascia, extraperitoneal fat, peritoneum

A memory aid for the layers of the anterior abdominal wall from skin to peritoneum.

T7 to T11 intercostal, T12 subcostal, L1 iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal

A memory aid for the segmental nerve supply of the anterior abdominal wall.

Arterial blood gas

A blood test used to assess oxygenation, carbon dioxide and acid-base status.

Duodenum for iron and calcium, jejunum for most nutrients, ileum for B12 and bile salts

A memory aid for where each nutrient is absorbed.

Anterior Cerebral Artery

Cerebral artery supplying medial brain; arises from internal carotid artery

Sternocleidomastoid, scalenes and pectorals for inspiration; abdominal wall for expiration

A memory aid for the muscles recruited in laboured breathing.

Shoulder droops, can't shrug or turn the head away from the injured side

Mnemonic for the clinical signs of an accessory nerve palsy.

Converge, constrict, contract the lens, three C's when you look up close

Mnemonic for the three components of the accommodation reflex.

Block angiotensin II, with cough from bradykinin

A memory aid for the uses, side effects and monitoring of ACE inhibitors.

Proton pump inhibitors, H2 antagonists and antacids

A memory aid for the drugs reducing gastric acid.

Respiratory Opposite, Metabolic Equal

A mnemonic to remember the relationship between pH and primary values in acid-base disorders.

Check pH, then carbon dioxide, then bicarbonate, then compensation, then the anion gap

A memory aid for a systematic approach to blood gas interpretation.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Primary ligament preventing anterior tibial translation at knee

American College of Radiology

Professional organisation setting imaging standards and guidelines

Acral and soft tissue overgrowth with metabolic and mass effects

A memory aid for the clinical features of growth hormone excess.

Depolarisation by sodium influx, repolarisation by potassium efflux, then hyperpolarisation

A memory aid for the phases of the neuronal action potential.

Moderate, acute severe, life threatening and near fatal

A memory aid for grading the severity of an acute asthma attack.

ECG first, then troponin, then the diagnosis follows

A memory aid for separating unstable angina, NSTEMI and STEMI.

Sit up, oxygen, nitrates, diuretics, and treat the cause

A mnemonic for the immediate treatment of acute pulmonary oedema.

Prerenal, intrinsic renal and postrenal

A mnemonic for classifying acute kidney injury by site.

Staged by creatinine rise or urine output, classified as pre-renal, renal or post-renal

A memory aid for the stages of acute kidney injury and its causes.

Two of four features: pain, rub, ECG changes, effusion

A memory aid for the diagnosis of acute pericarditis.

Diffuse alveolar damage with non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema

A memory aid for the pathology and definition of ARDS.

FAST to recognise, ROSIER to confirm, CT to exclude haemorrhage

A memory aid for recognising stroke and the thrombolysis pathway.

Ischaemic or toxic injury to tubular cells, with an oliguric then polyuric phase

A memory aid for the causes and course of acute tubular necrosis.

Neutrophils and exudate in acute; lymphocytes, macrophages and fibrosis in chronic

A memory aid for distinguishing acute from chronic inflammation.

Apparent Diffusion Coefficient

Quantitative map derived from DWI showing water diffusion

Timing and character of the added sound localise the pathology

A memory aid for interpreting crackles, wheeze and rubs.

Femoral artery, femoral vein, saphenous nerve and the nerve to vastus medialis

A memory aid for the contents of the adductor (Hunter's) canal.

White fat stores energy in a single droplet; brown fat generates heat

A memory aid for white and brown adipose tissue.

Adenosine diphosphate

A nucleotide formed when ATP loses one phosphate group.

Superior from the inferior phrenic, middle from the aorta, inferior from the renal artery

A memory aid for the three arteries supplying each adrenal gland.

Glomerulosa makes aldosterone, fasciculata makes cortisol, reticularis makes androgens

A mnemonic for the three zones of the adrenal cortex and their products.

A modified sympathetic ganglion secreting adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood

A memory aid for catecholamine synthesis and action.

Cholesterol to mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and androgens

A memory aid for the three branches of adrenal steroid synthesis.

Alpha-1 vasoconstricts, beta-1 stimulates the heart, beta-2 vasodilates

A memory aid for the cardiovascular actions of each adrenoceptor subtype.

Two minute cycles, rhythm check, and the shockable or non-shockable arms

A memory aid for the adult ALS algorithm.

I Can Predict Molars

Mnemonic for the number of each tooth type in one quadrant of the adult mouth.

ABCDE: Augmented, Bizarre, Chronic, Delayed, End of treatment

A mnemonic for classifying adverse drug reactions.

Aortic pressure, systemic vascular resistance, ventricular radius and wall thickness

A memory aid for the factors setting ventricular afterload.

Arteries stiffen, diastolic function declines, and maximum heart rate falls

A memory aid for the normal cardiovascular changes of ageing.

Nephron loss with falling GFR, reduced concentrating ability and blunted responses

A memory aid for the normal renal changes of ageing.

Loss of elastic recoil, stiffer chest wall, rising closing capacity and falling oxygen tension

A memory aid for the normal respiratory changes of ageing.

Agonists activate, antagonists block, partial agonists do both depending on context

A memory aid for the types of receptor ligand.

A flat line on X-ray tells the tale, fluid pooling in a blocked sinus trail

Mnemonic for the imaging sign of fluid within an infected sinus.

Cartilage, glands, goblet cells and cilia all disappear distally

A memory aid for how the airway wall changes as it divides.

Gas is fully saturated at body temperature by the time it reaches the isothermic boundary

A memory aid for how inspired gas is conditioned.

Medium-sized bronchi contribute most resistance, not the smallest airways

A memory aid for where airway resistance is greatest and what alters it.

As Low As Reasonably Achievable

Principle minimising radiation exposure while maintaining diagnostic quality

CAGE: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener

A mnemonic for the CAGE screening questions and the dependence features.

Long acting benzodiazepine plus thiamine, with seizure and delirium risk

A memory aid for treating alcohol withdrawal.

Sodium in, potassium and hydrogen out, at the distal nephron

A memory aid for the renal actions of aldosterone.

11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inactivates cortisol in mineralocorticoid target tissues

A memory aid for how the kidney distinguishes aldosterone from cortisol.

Aortic, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Mitral

A mnemonic for the four cardiac auscultation areas in order.

Alanine aminotransferase

A liver-associated enzyme measured in liver function testing.

Type I pneumocytes cover the surface, type II make surfactant, macrophages clean up

A mnemonic for the cell types lining the alveolus.

Inspired oxygen minus carbon dioxide divided by the respiratory quotient

A memory aid for calculating alveolar oxygen tension.

Alveolar carbon dioxide is inversely proportional to alveolar ventilation

A memory aid for the relationship between ventilation and carbon dioxide.

A normal gradient points to hypoventilation or low inspired oxygen; a wide gradient points to lung disease

A memory aid for interpreting the A-a gradient.

Daytime average over at least 14 measurements, with lower thresholds

A memory aid for the use and thresholds of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Match the monitoring duration to the frequency of the symptoms

A memory aid for choosing the right rhythm monitoring device.

Nonpolar, polar, acidic and basic, determined by the R group

A memory aid for grouping amino acids by side chain.

Concentration-dependent killing with a post-antibiotic effect, allowing once daily dosing

A memory aid for the safe use of gentamicin.

Type 1 is excess synthesis; type 2 is destructive thyroiditis

A memory aid for the two forms of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis.

Lungs, liver, thyroid, eyes, skin and nerves

A memory aid for the organ toxicity and monitoring of amiodarone.

Gut-derived ammonia is converted to urea by the liver; failure allows it to reach the brain

A memory aid for ammonia metabolism and hepatic encephalopathy.

Transamination collects it, glutamine transports it, the urea cycle removes it

A memory aid for how nitrogen is moved and disposed of.

Union of the bile duct and main pancreatic duct opening into the second part of the duodenum

A memory aid for the hepatopancreatic ampulla and the sphincter of Oddi.

Lipase is more sensitive and specific and stays raised longer

A memory aid for interpreting pancreatic enzymes.

Misfolded protein deposited as beta pleated sheets

A memory aid for the types and features of amyloidosis.

Microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic, each with a short differential

A memory aid for classifying anaemia by red cell size.

Internal sphincter is smooth muscle and involuntary; external is skeletal muscle and voluntary

A memory aid for the internal and external anal sphincters.

Adrenaline intramuscularly into the anterolateral thigh, immediately

A memory aid for recognising and treating anaphylaxis.

Bronchial and thebesian veins drain deoxygenated blood into the systemic circulation

A memory aid for the normal physiological shunt.

Extensor Pollicis Longus, Extensor Pollicis Brevis, Abductor Pollicis Longus

A memory aid for the tendons that border the anatomical snuffbox.

True aneurysms involve all layers; false aneurysms are contained ruptures

A memory aid for the types and causes of aneurysm.

Three features define typical angina

A memory aid for typical, atypical and non-anginal chest pain.

The angle of the jaw belongs to C2, C3, not the trigeminal at all

Mnemonic for the key exception to trigeminal facial sensation.

The facial artery's last stop, at the eye's inner corner, full stop

Mnemonic for the terminal point of the facial artery.

Sodium minus chloride and bicarbonate, normally 8 to 16 mmol per litre

A memory aid for calculating and interpreting the anion gap.

The kidney adjusts bicarbonate over days to offset a change in carbon dioxide

A memory aid for renal compensation of respiratory acid-base disorders.

Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion at the ankle; inversion and eversion at the subtalar joint

A memory aid for the movements of the ankle and subtalar joints.

A loop of C1 to C3 supplies the strap muscles below the hyoid

Mnemonic for the muscles supplied by the ansa cervicalis loop.

Combined test, quadruple test, anomaly scan and infectious disease screening

A memory aid for the antenatal screening programme and its tests.

Inferior epigastric vessels laterally, aorta and iliac vessels beneath the umbilicus

A memory aid for the structures at risk during laparoscopic port insertion.

Liver, duodenum and colon in front of the right; stomach, pancreas, spleen and colon in front of the left

A memory aid for the structures in front of each kidney.

Biceps brachii, Brachialis, Coracobrachialis

A mnemonic for the muscles of the anterior compartment of the arm.

Anterior chest is mostly upper lobe; posterior chest is mostly lower lobe

A memory aid for which lobes are examined from the front and from the back.

Frontal lobes rest, olfactory bulbs nest, on the cribriform's crest

Mnemonic for the main contents of the anterior cranial fossa.

Superficial, intermediate and deep flexors of the forearm

A memory aid for the flexor muscles of the anterior forearm by layer.

Flexor pollicis longus, lateral half of flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus

A memory aid for the muscles supplied by the anterior interosseous nerve.

Tibialis anterior, Extensor hallucis longus, Extensor digitorum longus and Fibularis tertius, supplied by the deep fibular nerve

A memory aid for the muscles and nerve of the anterior leg.

Growth hormone, prolactin, ACTH, TSH, FSH and LH

A memory aid for the six anterior pituitary hormones and their targets.

FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH, Prolactin, Insulin-like (IGF), GH

A mnemonic for the six hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary gland.

Quadriceps femoris, sartorius, iliopsoas and pectineus, supplied mainly by the femoral nerve

A memory aid for the muscles and nerve of the anterior thigh.

Some Men Cheat Downwards

Mnemonic for the four subdivisions of the anterior triangle of the neck.

The anterior wall is supplied by anterior rami; the back muscles by posterior rami

A memory aid contrasting the segmental nerve supply of the abdominal wall front and back.

Adenosine for supraventricular tachycardia, amiodarone broadly, digoxin for rate control

A memory aid for choosing antiarrhythmic drugs by arrhythmia.

Cell wall, protein synthesis, nucleic acid and folate synthesis

A memory aid for the targets of the antibiotic classes.

Surgical, medical and post-exposure indications

A memory aid for when antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated.

Enzymatic destruction, target alteration, reduced entry and efflux

A memory aid for how bacteria become resistant.

Susceptible, intermediate or resistant, defined against a breakpoint

A memory aid for reading a sensitivity report and the resistance mechanisms behind it.

Each class has a signature adverse effect

A memory aid for the characteristic toxicity of each antibiotic class.

Gram positive, Gram negative, anaerobic and atypical cover

A memory aid for which antibiotics cover which organisms.

Many drugs each contribute a little, and the total predicts harm

A memory aid for the cumulative effect of anticholinergic drugs.

Warfarin blocks vitamin K, heparin activates antithrombin, DOACs block Xa or thrombin

A memory aid for how the anticoagulants work and are monitored.

Antithrombin, protein C and S, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor

A memory aid for the body's own anticoagulant systems.

SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics and MAO inhibitors

A memory aid for the antidepressant classes and their distinguishing features.

It inserts aquaporin-2 channels into the collecting duct

A memory aid for how vasopressin concentrates the urine.

Water retention through V2 receptors and vasoconstriction through V1 receptors

A memory aid for the cardiovascular actions of vasopressin.

Each major poison has a specific antidote acting by a defined mechanism

A memory aid for the specific antidotes and their poisons.

Choose the drug by the receptor pathway driving the nausea

A memory aid for matching antiemetics to the cause of vomiting.

Sodium channel blockade, GABA enhancement or calcium channel blockade

A memory aid for how anticonvulsants work and their key toxicities.

Antifungals target ergosterol or the cell wall; antivirals target viral enzymes

A memory aid for the targets of antifungal and antiviral drugs.

ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, thiazides, then spironolactone or beta blockers

A memory aid for the main antihypertensive drug classes and their side effects.

Folate, thymidylate, purine and ribonucleotide reductase pathways

A memory aid for where antimetabolite drugs act.

Start Smart Then Focus

A mnemonic for the principles of responsible antibiotic prescribing.

Aspirin blocks thromboxane, clopidogrel blocks ADP, abciximab blocks GPIIb/IIIa

A memory aid for the antiplatelet classes and their targets.

Extrapyramidal effects with typicals, metabolic effects with atypicals

A memory aid for the adverse effects of antipsychotics.

RIPE: Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol

A mnemonic for the first line antituberculous drugs and their toxicity.

True or false, fusiform or saccular, with degeneration of the media

A memory aid for the types and pathology of aortic aneurysm.

Brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid artery, left subclavian artery

A memory aid for the three branches of the aortic arch in order.

Tearing pain to the back, with unequal pulses

A memory aid for the presentation and classification of aortic dissection.

Aorta, Azygos vein, Thoracic duct

A mnemonic for the three structures passing through the aortic hiatus.

The narrow segment just distal to the left subclavian artery, tethered by the ligamentum arteriosum

A memory aid for the site of traumatic aortic injury.

A wide pulse pressure produces a long list of eponyms

A memory aid for the eponymous peripheral signs of aortic regurgitation.

Right sinus gives the right coronary artery, left sinus gives the left, the posterior sinus is non-coronary

A memory aid for the three aortic sinuses and the coronary arteries arising from them.

SAD: Syncope, Angina, Dyspnoea

A mnemonic for the symptoms, signs and severity of aortic stenosis.

Anteroposterior

Standard frontal projection view

Fifth intercostal space in the mid-clavicular line

A memory aid for where the apex beat is normally felt.

Immature respiratory control with a paradoxical response to hypoxia

A memory aid for why premature infants stop breathing.

Apoptosis is programmed and tidy; necrosis is accidental and inflammatory

A memory aid for distinguishing the two forms of cell death.

A single end artery running in the mesoappendix from the ileocolic artery

A memory aid for the blood supply of the appendix and why it undergoes gangrene.

Retrocaecal, pelvic, subcaecal, preileal and postileal

A mnemonic for the possible positions of the appendix.

Ghrelin stimulates hunger; leptin, PYY and GLP-1 promote satiety

A memory aid for the hormones controlling hunger and satiety.

Resuscitate, identify, decontaminate, give an antidote, enhance elimination

A memory aid for the general management of poisoning.

Medial longitudinal, lateral longitudinal and transverse arches

A memory aid for the three arches of the foot.

Median over the aorta, medial over psoas major, lateral over quadratus lumborum

A memory aid for the three arcuate ligaments and what passes behind each.

The arcuate line is in the rectus sheath; the arcuate ligaments are on the diaphragm

A memory aid for distinguishing the similarly named arcuate structures of the abdomen.

Diffuse alveolar damage causes non-cardiogenic oedema, shunt and stiff lungs

A memory aid for the physiology of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse

Technique using short-duration acoustic pulses to assess tissue stiffness

Oxygenation first, then pH, then carbon dioxide, then bicarbonate

A memory aid for the order in which to read an arterial blood gas.

Runs within the pericardium from the aortic valve to the sternal angle, with the pulmonary trunk in front

A memory aid for the course and relations of the ascending aorta.

Free fluid gravitates to the flanks while gas-filled bowel floats centrally

A memory aid for the anatomical basis of shifting dullness.

SAAG separates portal hypertension from everything else

A memory aid for the serum ascites albumin gradient and ascitic tap.

Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score

10-point scoring system assessing extent of early ischaemic changes on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging

The right main bronchus is Wider, Shorter and more Vertical

A mnemonic for why inhaled foreign bodies tend to enter the right lung.

Aspartate aminotransferase

An enzyme found in liver, muscle and other tissues.

Beta-2 agonists, antimuscarinics, corticosteroids and leukotriene antagonists

A memory aid for the classes of inhaled respiratory drug.

Variable airflow obstruction, demonstrated objectively

A memory aid for the objective tests used to diagnose asthma.

Inflammation, bronchoconstriction and airway remodelling

A memory aid for the airway changes in asthma.

Bronchoconstriction, gas trapping and hyperinflation with V/Q mismatch

A memory aid for the physiological changes in acute asthma.

Endothelial injury, lipid entry, foam cells, fatty streak, then fibrous plaque

A memory aid for the stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Atlas nods yes, axis says no

Mnemonic for the different movements permitted at the top two cervical joints.

Atlas has no body, axis has the peg

Mnemonic for the distinguishing features of the first two cervical vertebrae.

Adenosine triphosphate

A high-energy molecule used as a cellular energy currency.

Glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation

A memory aid for the stages of cellular energy production.

Rate or rhythm, plus stroke prevention, considered separately

A memory aid for rate control, rhythm control and anticoagulation in AF.

Septum primum and septum secundum overlap to leave the flap valve of the foramen ovale

A memory aid for how the interatrial septum forms.

Ribs 1, 2, 10, 11 and 12 are atypical

A memory aid for which ribs are atypical and why.

Area Under Curve

Summary statistic of receiver operating characteristic curve; probability test correctly ranks random positive versus negative

Wraps around the middle meningeal artery like a sling

Mnemonic for the looping relationship between the auriculotemporal nerve and the middle meningeal artery.

Each autoimmune disease has a characteristic antibody profile

A memory aid for the main disease-associated autoantibodies.

Antinuclear antibody first, then the specific antibodies

A memory aid for which autoantibody points to which disease.

Central and peripheral tolerance, and the ways each fails

A memory aid for how tolerance fails and autoimmunity develops.

Sinoatrial node 60 to 100, atrioventricular junction 40 to 60, ventricle 20 to 40

A memory aid for the intrinsic rates of the cardiac pacemakers.

Chronotropy, inotropy, dromotropy and lusitropy

A mnemonic for the four autonomic actions on cardiac function.

Sympathetic is thoracolumbar with short pre and long postganglionic fibres; parasympathetic is craniosacral and the reverse

A memory aid for the differences between sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Myogenic and metabolic mechanisms hold flow steady despite changing pressure

A memory aid for the mechanisms keeping organ blood flow constant.

Avascular Necrosis

Bone death from loss of blood supply

Deltoid weakness and regimental badge sensory loss

A memory aid for the signs of an axillary nerve lesion.

The upper outer quadrant extends into the axilla through the deep fascia

A memory aid for the extension of breast tissue into the axilla.

Abdominal X-Ray

Plain radiograph of the abdomen

A normal variant formed when the azygos vein cuts through the apex of the right upper lobe

A memory aid for the anatomy of an azygos lobe.

Azygos on the right, hemiazygos and accessory hemiazygos on the left

A memory aid for the arrangement of the azygos, hemiazygos and accessory hemiazygos veins.

Antigen binding plus T cell help drives class switching and affinity maturation

A memory aid for how B cells mature and change antibody class.

Serum levels, then the metabolites, then the cause

A memory aid for investigating suspected B12 and folate deficiency.

Barium

Barium contrast used in fluoroscopic GI studies

Features suggesting malignancy, infection, fracture or cauda equina

A memory aid for the sinister causes of back pain.

Bainbridge speeds the heart with atrial stretch; Bezold-Jarisch slows it

A memory aid for two cardiac reflexes with opposite effects on heart rate.

Carotid sinus and aortic arch stretch receptors adjust autonomic outflow within seconds

A memory aid for the short-term regulation of blood pressure.

The direct pathway facilitates movement; the indirect pathway inhibits it

A memory aid for the direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways.

Energy expenditure at rest, mainly determined by lean body mass

A memory aid for basal metabolic rate and what alters it.

Base excess quantifies the metabolic component independently of carbon dioxide

A memory aid for the derived metabolic acid-base parameters.

Basal lamina of lamina lucida and lamina densa, plus a reticular lamina

A memory aid for the layers and role of the basement membrane.

A valveless network connecting thoracic, pelvic and vertebral veins

A memory aid for the valveless venous plexus linking the thorax to the spine.

Brachiocephalic veins, Aortic arch, Thymus, Trachea, Lymphatics, (o)Esophagus

A mnemonic for the contents of the superior mediastinum.

Bruising behind the ear, base of skull fracture's here

Mnemonic for the clinical sign and significance of Battle's sign.

Hypotension, raised jugular venous pressure, muffled heart sounds

A mnemonic for the three signs of cardiac tamponade.

Bell's drops it all, stroke spares the wall

Mnemonic for distinguishing a lower motor neuron facial palsy from an upper motor neuron lesion.

Malignant tumours invade, metastasise, grow rapidly and show cellular atypia

A memory aid for distinguishing benign from malignant neoplasms.

GABA-A enhancement giving anxiolysis, sedation, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant effects

A memory aid for the benzodiazepines and their clinical uses.

Brachioradialis, Extensors, Supinator, Triceps

A memory aid for common radial nerve motor functions.

Cardioselective agents spare beta-2 receptors; non-selective agents do not

A memory aid for the differences between beta blockers.

All inhibit cell wall synthesis, differing in spectrum and stability

A memory aid for the penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems.

Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System

Standardised reporting system for breast imaging with scores 0 to 6

Flexes the elbow and is the most powerful supinator of the forearm

A memory aid for the actions of biceps brachii.

Cholesterol to bile acids via 7-alpha-hydroxylase, the rate-limiting step

A memory aid for bile acid production and its regulation.

Bile salts, phospholipids, cholesterol, bilirubin and bicarbonate

A memory aid for what bile contains and what it does.

Right and left hepatic ducts join as the common hepatic duct, which the cystic duct joins to form the common bile duct

A memory aid for the sequence of the biliary ducts.

High red cell turnover with immature conjugation and enterohepatic recycling

A memory aid for why newborns become jaundiced.

Unconjugated bilirubin is conjugated in the liver, excreted in bile, and converted to urobilinogen

A memory aid for the pathway of bilirubin from haem to stercobilin.

The fraction of a dose reaching the systemic circulation unchanged

A memory aid for bioavailability and the routes that avoid the liver.

More tissue gives more information but carries more risk

A memory aid for choosing between fine needle aspiration, core and excision biopsy.

Bitter lingers at the back, a built-in poison-detecting tack

Mnemonic for the relative concentration of bitter taste receptors on the tongue.

A smooth triangular area between the two ureteric orifices and the internal urethral meatus

A memory aid for the trigone and its distinct embryological origin.

Tight junctions, basement membrane and astrocyte foot processes

A memory aid for the components of the blood brain barrier.

Two sets, separate sites, adequate volume, before antibiotics

A memory aid for taking and interpreting blood cultures.

Each morphological abnormality points to a specific diagnosis

A memory aid for the diagnostic features on a blood film.

Group O is the universal red cell donor; group AB the universal plasma donor

A memory aid for the ABO and Rhesus systems.

Cuff size, position, rate of deflation and repetition

A memory aid for measuring blood pressure accurately and its pitfalls.

Tunica intima, media and adventitia, in differing proportions by vessel type

A memory aid for the three layers of a vessel wall.

Viscosity rises steeply with haematocrit, so optimal delivery occurs at an intermediate value

A memory aid for how haematocrit affects flow and oxygen delivery.

About 70 per cent in the venous system, 15 per cent arterial, 5 per cent capillary

A memory aid for how blood volume is distributed around the circulation.

Alveolar epithelium, fused basement membranes, capillary endothelium

A memory aid for the layers gas crosses between alveolus and capillary.

Tight junctions between endothelial cells, supported by astrocyte foot processes

A memory aid for the structure and significance of the blood-brain barrier.

SNoW DRoP: Southern DNA, Northern RNA, Western Protein

A mnemonic for the three blotting techniques and what each detects.

Bicarbonate in extracellular fluid, haemoglobin in blood, protein and phosphate in cells, bone in chronic acidosis

A memory aid for the main physiological buffers.

Total body water 60 per cent, two-thirds intracellular, one-third extracellular

A mnemonic for the distribution of body water.

Bohr is carbon dioxide affecting oxygen carriage; Haldane is oxygen affecting carbon dioxide carriage

A mnemonic for distinguishing the Bohr and Haldane effects.

Blood-Oxygen-Level Dependent

Contrast mechanism used in fMRI based on paramagnetic deoxyhaemoglobin

Osteons of concentric lamellae around a central canal

A memory aid for the microscopic structure of bone.

Red marrow is haematopoietic; yellow marrow is fat

A memory aid for marrow structure and the sites of blood formation.

Bone remodels along lines of stress, according to Wolff's law

A memory aid for how bone responds to mechanical load.

Bisphosphonates, denosumab, teriparatide and romosozumab

A memory aid for the drugs used in osteoporosis.

Osteoblasts build, osteoclasts resorb, coupled through RANK ligand

A memory aid for the hormonal control of bone turnover.

Compact bone in osteons, cancellous bone in trabeculae

A memory aid for compact and cancellous bone and their organisation.

7 tarsals, 5 metatarsals and 14 phalanges make 26 bones

A memory aid for the number of bones in the foot.

8 carpals, 5 metacarpals and 14 phalanges make 27 bones

A memory aid for the number of bones in the hand and wrist.

Inguinal ligament above, sartorius laterally, adductor longus medially

A mnemonic for the boundaries and contents of the femoral triangle.

Blood pressure

The pressure exerted by circulating blood on arterial walls.

Lateral, Medial and Posterior cords named by their relation to the axillary artery

A memory aid for how the three cords of the brachial plexus are named.

Atropine first, then the risk factors for asystole

A memory aid for the management of bradycardia and when pacing is needed.

Subfalcine, uncal, central and tonsillar

A memory aid for the patterns of brain herniation.

Metastases outnumber primaries, and glioblastoma is the commonest primary

A memory aid for the common primary and secondary brain tumours.

Leucine, isoleucine and valine, metabolised in muscle not liver

A memory aid for the branched chain amino acids and maple syrup urine disease.

Internal thoracic perforators, lateral thoracic, thoracoacromial and posterior intercostal arteries

A memory aid for the arteries supplying the breast.

Colostrum first, then transitional and mature milk

A memory aid for lactogenesis and the composition of breast milk.

About 75 per cent to the axillary nodes, most of the rest to the parasternal nodes

A memory aid for where lymph from the breast drains.

Fifteen to twenty lobes, each draining by a lactiferous duct to the nipple

A memory aid for the internal structure of the breast.

Rising carbon dioxide is the main stimulus, with falling oxygen contributing later

A memory aid for what terminates a breath hold.

Histamine and leukotrienes early, cellular infiltration late

A memory aid for the mediators of the early and late asthmatic response.

Trachea, main, lobar, segmental bronchi, then bronchioles, terminal and respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and sacs

A memory aid for the order of airway divisions from trachea to alveolus.

Pulmonary vessels carry blood for gas exchange; bronchial vessels nourish the lung tissue

A memory aid for the two separate blood supplies of the lung.

Permanent bronchial dilatation from chronic infection and inflammation

A mnemonic for the causes and management of bronchiectasis.

Ten segments on the right, eight to ten on the left

A memory aid for the number of bronchopulmonary segments in each lung.

The trumpeter's cheek, keeps the food where you chew, doesn't let it leak

Mnemonic for the role of buccinator in mastication.

WiLLiaM MaRRoW: left gives W in V1 and M in V6; right gives M in V1 and W in V6

A mnemonic for distinguishing right from left bundle branch block.

WiLLiaM MaRRoW: W in V1 and M in V6 is left, M in V1 and W in V6 is right

A mnemonic for telling left from right bundle branch block.

Rule of nines for area, Parkland formula for fluid

A memory aid for estimating burn size and calculating fluid replacement.

CT Colonography Reporting and Data System

Reporting system for computed tomography colonography findings

Cervical vertebra 1

First cervical vertebra (atlas)

Cervical vertebra 2

Second cervical vertebra (axis); features prominent odontoid process

C3, C4 and C5 contribute to the phrenic nerve

A mnemonic for the spinal roots of the phrenic nerve.

Cervical vertebra 5

Fifth cervical vertebra; common level for cervical myelopathy

Long thoracic nerve arises from roots C5, C6 and C7

A mnemonic for the roots of the long thoracic nerve.

Cervical vertebra 6

Sixth cervical vertebra

Cervical vertebra 7

Seventh cervical vertebra (vertebra prominens); most prominent on physical exam

Dihydropyridines act on vessels, non-dihydropyridines on the heart

A memory aid for the two classes of calcium channel blocker.

Correct for albumin, then use the parathyroid hormone

A memory aid for correcting calcium and working out the cause of an abnormal result.

Mostly passive in the proximal tubule and loop, actively regulated in the distal tubule

A memory aid for renal calcium reabsorption and its control.

Parathyroid hormone and vitamin D raise calcium; calcitonin lowers it

A memory aid for the three hormones controlling calcium.

Cystic duct, common hepatic duct and the inferior border of the liver

A mnemonic for the boundaries of the hepatocystic triangle.

Camper's is the fatty Cushion, Scarpa's is the Sheet

A mnemonic for the two layers of superficial fascia of the abdominal wall.

Understand, retain, weigh and communicate

A memory aid for the four elements of decision-making capacity.

Diffusion for gases, bulk flow for water, vesicular transport for large molecules

A memory aid for how substances cross the capillary wall.

Continuous, fenestrated and sinusoidal, in increasing permeability

A memory aid for the three capillary types and their permeability.

Amylase to oligosaccharides, brush border enzymes to monosaccharides, then transport

A memory aid for the steps of carbohydrate digestion and absorption.

Bicarbonate about 70 per cent, carbamino about 23 per cent, dissolved about 7 per cent

A memory aid for the three forms in which carbon dioxide is carried.

Carbon monoxide blocks oxygen carriage; cyanide blocks its use

A memory aid for the two classic poisonings of fire and smoke.

It binds haemoglobin 240 times more avidly than oxygen and shifts the curve left

A memory aid for why carbon monoxide is so dangerous.

Each agent has a characteristic tumour

A memory aid for the classic chemical, physical and biological carcinogens.

All Points Reach Plateau, Restore

A mnemonic for the five phases of the ventricular cardiac action potential.

Two shockable, two non-shockable, and the four Hs and four Ts

A memory aid for shockable and non-shockable rhythms and the reversible causes.

Sympathetic from T1 to T5, parasympathetic from the vagus

A memory aid for the autonomic innervation of the heart.

Both positive is normal; leads pointing away from each other indicate deviation

A memory aid for working out the cardiac axis from leads I and aVF.

Troponin is the standard, rising at 3 to 6 hours and remaining raised for days

A memory aid for the timing of cardiac markers after infarction.

Right border is right atrium; left border is aortic knuckle, pulmonary trunk, left atrial appendage and left ventricle

A memory aid for which chambers form the cardiac silhouette on a chest radiograph.

Sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, bundle of His, bundle branches, Purkinje fibres

A memory aid for the sequence of the cardiac conducting system.

CT for the arteries, MRI for the muscle

A memory aid for when to use cardiac CT and when to use cardiac MRI.

Atrial systole, isovolumetric contraction, ejection, isovolumetric relaxation, then filling

A memory aid for the seven phases of the cardiac cycle.

Four fibrous rings that anchor the valves, attach the myocardium and insulate atria from ventricles

A memory aid for the functions of the fibrous skeleton of the heart.

Branching striated fibres with central nuclei and intercalated discs

A memory aid for identifying cardiac muscle microscopically.

Cardiac muscle is a functional syncytium with a long refractory period and cannot tetanise

A memory aid for the differences between cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Preload, Rate, Stroke volume, Heart contractility

A mnemonic for the four main determinants of cardiac output.

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume

A memory aid for calculating cardiac output and its normal values.

Fick principle, indicator dilution, thermodilution, Doppler and pulse contour analysis

A memory aid for the methods of measuring cardiac output.

Cardiac afferents enter the cord at T1 to T4 and are misattributed to those dermatomes

A memory aid for why cardiac pain is felt in the chest, arm and jaw.

Absolute refractory period prevents tetany; the relative period allows vulnerable re-excitation

A memory aid for the absolute and relative refractory periods of cardiac muscle.

Coronary sulcus between atria and ventricles, interventricular sulci between the ventricles

A memory aid for the grooves on the surface of the heart and the vessels they carry.

Equalisation of diastolic pressures with impaired filling and pulsus paradoxus

A memory aid for the haemodynamics of cardiac tamponade.

Pressure work is far more costly in oxygen than volume work

A memory aid for the components of cardiac work.

Rubor, calor, tumor, dolor and functio laesa

A mnemonic for the five classical signs of acute inflammation.

Dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive, each with a distinct physiology

A memory aid for the three types of cardiomyopathy.

Maximum cardiac width divided by maximum thoracic width, normally less than 0.5

A memory aid for measuring heart size on a chest radiograph.

Hands, pulse, face, neck, praecordium, then back and legs

A memory aid for the order of a cardiovascular examination.

Immediate tachycardia and hyperventilation, then polycythaemia and pulmonary hypertension

A memory aid for the circulatory adaptations to high altitude.

Cardiac output rises, resistance falls, and flow is redistributed to muscle

A memory aid for the circulatory changes during dynamic exercise.

The carina lies at the level of the sternal angle, T4 to T5

A memory aid for the level of the tracheal bifurcation.

Carotid splits at C3 to C4, right where the hyoid bone lives

Mnemonic for the vertebral level of the carotid artery bifurcation.

The tunnel the artery takes, no nerve for company's sake

Mnemonic for the sole major content of the carotid canal.

Feel the angle of the jaw, just in front of the SCM's wall

Mnemonic for where to feel the carotid pulse.

Very Important Vessels Nearby

Mnemonic for the structures contained within the carotid sheath.

Four flexor digitorum superficialis tendons, four flexor digitorum profundus tendons, one flexor pollicis longus tendon and the median nerve

A memory aid for the ten structures passing through the carpal tunnel.

Normal carrying angle is about 5 to 15 degrees; increased is cubitus valgus and decreased is cubitus varus

A memory aid for the normal carrying angle and its abnormalities.

Hyaline, elastic and fibrocartilage, differing in fibre content

A memory aid for the three types of cartilage.

Respiratory, cardiac, gastrointestinal and endocrine causes

A memory aid for the systemic causes of finger clubbing.

Low inspired oxygen, hypoventilation, diffusion impairment, V/Q mismatch, shunt

A mnemonic for the five mechanisms of arterial hypoxaemia.

Raised hydrostatic pressure, low oncotic pressure, increased permeability, lymphatic obstruction

A mnemonic for the mechanisms of oedema formation.

Reduced production, increased destruction, sequestration or spurious

A memory aid for classifying a low platelet count.

Inferior vena cava and the right phrenic nerve

A memory aid for the structures passing through the caval opening of the diaphragm.

Oh Oh Oh To Take A Vacation

Mnemonic for the structures within and beside the cavernous sinus.

Painful eye that won't move right, three four six caught in the fight

Mnemonic for the clinical features of cavernous sinus thrombosis.

Cone Beam CT

CT using cone-shaped X-ray beam; common in dental and ENT imaging

Common Bile Duct

Duct formed by confluence of common hepatic duct and cystic duct; terminates at ampulla of Vater

Contrast-Enhanced CT

CT performed with intravenous contrast agent

Celiac trunk supplies foregut; SMA supplies midgut; IMA supplies hindgut

A simple memory aid for gut blood supply.

G1, S, G2 and M, with checkpoints controlled by cyclins and p53

A memory aid for the phases of the cell cycle and their checkpoints.

Tight junctions seal, adherens and desmosomes anchor, gap junctions communicate

A mnemonic for the types of intercellular junction.

A phospholipid bilayer with proteins floating in it

A memory aid for the fluid mosaic model of the plasma membrane.

Simple and facilitated diffusion, primary and secondary active transport, and vesicular transport

A memory aid for the ways substances cross cell membranes.

Nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondria, lysosomes and peroxisomes

A memory aid for the organelles and what each does.

Labile, stable and permanent cell populations

A memory aid for classifying tissues by their capacity to regenerate.

Ion channel, G protein coupled, enzyme linked and intracellular receptors

A memory aid for the main types of cell surface receptor.

Neutrophils first, macrophages next, lymphocytes for the long term

A memory aid for which cell arrives when in inflammation.

Hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, metaplasia and dysplasia

A mnemonic for the ways cells adapt to stress.

DNA to RNA to protein, by replication, transcription and translation

A memory aid for the flow of genetic information.

It reflects right atrial pressure, which depends on volume, cardiac function and compliance

A memory aid for what central venous pressure does and does not tell you.

Molecular, Purkinje and granular, from surface inwards

A memory aid for the three layers of the cerebellar cortex.

DANISH: Dysdiadochokinesia, Ataxia, Nystagmus, Intention tremor, Slurred speech, Hypotonia

A mnemonic for the signs of cerebellar dysfunction.

Carbon dioxide is the most powerful cerebral vasodilator

A memory aid for the factors controlling cerebral perfusion.

Frontal for motor and executive, parietal for sensation, temporal for hearing and memory, occipital for vision

A memory aid for the main functional areas of the cortex.

Cells, protein, glucose and appearance distinguish the meningitides

A memory aid for interpreting a lumbar puncture result.

Produced by choroid plexus, circulates through the ventricles, absorbed by arachnoid granulations

A memory aid for CSF production, circulation and absorption.

Submental to supraclavicular, level one to level six

Mnemonic for the six levels of cervical lymph nodes.

The apex rises 2 to 3 cm above the medial third of the clavicle

A memory aid for how far the lung apex and pleura project into the neck.

Great auricular, lesser occipital, supraclavicular, transverse cervical, GLST meet at Erb's point

Mnemonic for the four cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus.

C1 to C4 weave the neck's own web

Mnemonic for the spinal root contributions to the cervical plexus.

Superior Middle Inferior, three ganglia in a row

Mnemonic for the three ganglia of the cervical sympathetic trunk.

Seven bones, eight nerves, C1 exits above its bone, the rest just follow

Mnemonic for why there are eight cervical nerves but only seven cervical vertebrae.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

Ultrasound with microbubble contrast agents to assess tissue vascularity

Congestive failure, Hypertension, Age, Diabetes, Stroke, Vascular, Age, Sex

A mnemonic for assessing stroke risk in atrial fibrillation.

Fever, jaundice and right upper quadrant pain; add hypotension and confusion for the pentad

A mnemonic for the features of ascending cholangitis.

Common Hepatic Duct

Bile duct formed by confluence of right and left hepatic ducts

Cell-derived mediators such as histamine, and plasma-derived cascades

A memory aid for the mediators of inflammation by source.

Peripheral chemoreceptors sense oxygen; central chemoreceptors sense carbon dioxide

A memory aid for the peripheral and central chemoreceptors.

Neutropenic sepsis, tumour lysis, spinal cord compression and hypercalcaemia

A memory aid for the acute complications of cancer treatment.

ABCDE: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Diaphragm, Everything else

A mnemonic for reviewing a chest radiograph in order.

Percussion note, breath sounds and vocal resonance identify the pathology

A memory aid for the combination of chest signs in each condition.

Skin, fascia, muscle, three intercostal layers, endothoracic fascia, parietal pleura

A memory aid for the layers crossed when passing a needle into the pleural cavity.

Bicarbonate leaves the red cell in exchange for chloride entering

A memory aid for the Hamburger phenomenon in red cells.

Mild or severe, decided by whether the patient can cough effectively

A memory aid for the treatment of foreign body airway obstruction.

Chylomicrons carry dietary fat, VLDL endogenous fat, LDL delivers cholesterol, HDL returns it

A memory aid for the lipoprotein classes and their roles.

Acetyl-CoA to mevalonate via HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting step

A memory aid for the cholesterol synthetic pathway and its regulation.

Radiation, availability, contrast risk and what the question is

A memory aid for selecting the right first line imaging test.

Sneaks through the middle ear, but doesn't supply it, just passing through

Mnemonic for the passage of the chorda tympani through the middle ear without supplying it.

Remaining nephrons hyperfilter, which compensates but accelerates decline

A memory aid for how surviving nephrons compensate as kidney function falls.

Tap the cheek, twitch you'll see, low calcium's the guarantee

Mnemonic for eliciting and interpreting Chvostek's sign.

Confidence Interval

Range of values containing true population parameter with specified probability (typically 95 percent)

Short root, sharp focus

Mnemonic for the parasympathetic root of the ciliary ganglion.

Anterior communicates before posterior

Mnemonic for the anterior to posterior arrangement of the circle of Willis.

Portal hypertension and hepatocellular failure, each with its own complications

A memory aid for the consequences of cirrhosis.

Carcinoma in situ

A pre-invasive epithelial malignancy that has not breached the basement membrane.

A lymphatic sac at L1 to L2 receiving the intestinal and lumbar lymph trunks

A memory aid for the origin of the thoracic duct in the abdomen.

Half-life depends on both clearance and volume of distribution

A memory aid for the relationship between clearance, volume and half-life.

Usually strikes on the left, left is more often bereft

Mnemonic for the typical side affected in cleft lip.

Lip by six, palate by twelve

Mnemonic for the developmental timing of lip and palate closure.

Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation

A mnemonic for the order of any physical examination.

The urorectal septum divides the cloaca into urogenital sinus in front and anorectal canal behind

A memory aid for the division of the cloaca and the origin of anorectal malformations.

The volume at which dependent small airways begin to close

A memory aid for closing capacity and its relationship to functional residual capacity.

PT tests the extrinsic pathway, APTT the intrinsic, both the common

A memory aid for interpreting prothrombin time and APTT together.

Core Needle Biopsy

Image-guided biopsy using 14 to 18 gauge needle for tissue samples

Central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord.

A pulse oximeter reads two wavelengths and can be badly misled

A memory aid for carboxyhaemoglobin, methaemoglobin and the pulse oximeter's blind spots.

Extrinsic measured by prothrombin time, intrinsic by APTT

A memory aid for the intrinsic, extrinsic and common coagulation pathways.

Collateral flow through enlarged posterior intercostal arteries erodes the lower rib borders

A memory aid for why aortic coarctation causes notching of the ribs.

Cochlea for hearing, vestibule for the leaning

Mnemonic for the separate functions of the cochlea and vestibular apparatus.

Organ of Corti for hearing, maculae and cristae for balance

A memory aid for the sensory epithelium of the inner ear.

Villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia and intraepithelial lymphocytosis

A memory aid for the duodenal biopsy findings in coeliac disease.

Immune-mediated villous atrophy in the proximal small bowel

A memory aid for the mechanism of malabsorption in coeliac disease.

Tissue transglutaminase IgA with a total IgA, on a gluten containing diet

A memory aid for testing for coeliac disease.

Left gastric, splenic and common hepatic arteries

A mnemonic for the three branches of the coeliac trunk.

Hydroxylation requires vitamin C, then glycosylation, triple helix formation and cross-linking

A memory aid for the steps of collagen production.

Type I bone and skin, II cartilage, III reticular, IV basement membrane

A mnemonic for the main collagen types and where each is found.

The main bundle lies in the costal groove above, but a collateral branch runs along the rib below

A memory aid for why a needle should still avoid the lower border of an intercostal space.

Essential whenever the patient cannot give a reliable account

A memory aid for when and how to take a collateral history.

The medial collateral ligament resists valgus force; the lateral collateral ligament resists varus force

A memory aid for the collateral ligaments and the forces they resist.

Caecum, ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colon, with hepatic and splenic flexures

A memory aid for the parts of the colon and the position of its flexures.

Absorbs water and electrolytes, ferments fibre, and stores faeces

A memory aid for what the colon does.

Griffiths' point at the splenic flexure and Sudeck's point at the rectosigmoid junction

A memory aid for the two watershed areas of the colon.

APC, then KRAS, then p53, accumulating over years

A memory aid for the molecular steps from normal colon to carcinoma.

Neoplastic adenomas versus non-neoplastic polyps

A memory aid for the types of colonic polyp and their malignant potential.

Pharmacokinetic interactions alter concentration; pharmacodynamic interactions alter effect

A memory aid for how drugs interact with one another.

Foot drop with loss of dorsiflexion and eversion and sensory loss over the dorsum of the foot

A memory aid for the effects of a common fibular nerve lesion.

H and E for routine work, with special stains for specific components

A memory aid for the common stains and what each demonstrates.

Pain out of proportion, Pain on passive stretch, Paraesthesia, Pallor, Pulselessness, Paralysis

A memory aid for the warning signs of acute compartment syndrome.

Predictable formulae reveal whether a second disorder is present

A memory aid for the expected compensation in each acid-base disorder.

Classical, alternative and lectin pathways converging on C3

A memory aid for the three complement pathways and their functions.

The lung follows a different path on inflation than on deflation

A memory aid for why the inflation and deflation curves differ.

Generations 0 to 16 conduct air; generations 17 to 23 exchange gas

A memory aid for the division of the airway into conducting and respiratory zones.

Purkinje fastest, atrioventricular node slowest

A mnemonic for the relative conduction speeds in the heart.

Delirium is acute and fluctuating with inattention; dementia is chronic and progressive

A memory aid for distinguishing delirium from dementia.

Bochdalek is Back and to the Left; Morgagni is anterior and to the right

A mnemonic for the two sites of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Cells, fibres and ground substance

A memory aid for the constituents of connective tissue.

Arousal requires the brainstem reticular formation and at least one functioning hemisphere

A memory aid for the anatomical basis of consciousness.

Slow transit, outlet obstruction or normal transit with hard stool

A memory aid for the mechanisms of constipation and laxative action.

Kussmaul's sign and the y descent separate them

A memory aid for distinguishing constriction from tamponade.

Suppress ovulation, thicken mucus, or prevent implantation

A memory aid for how each contraceptive method works.

Sympathetic drive and calcium raise it; hypoxia, acidosis and beta blockade lower it

A memory aid for what increases and decreases myocardial contractility.

Renal function, allergy, thyroid and metformin

A memory aid for the risks of iodinated and gadolinium contrast.

Medullary vasoconstriction and direct tubular toxicity

A memory aid for the mechanism of contrast-associated kidney injury.

Fibrous septa from the dermis to the pectoral fascia that tether the breast

A memory aid for the suspensory ligaments of the breast and the sign they produce.

Cryptogenic Organising Pneumonia

Reversible airway-centred inflammation; computed tomography shows consolidations and bronchial wall thickening

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A chronic respiratory condition characterised by persistent airflow limitation.

Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC below 0.7, staged by FEV1

A memory aid for diagnosing COPD and grading its severity.

Controlled oxygen, bronchodilators, steroids, and antibiotics if infected

A mnemonic for treating an acute exacerbation of COPD.

Loss of elastic recoil, airway collapse, gas trapping and impaired gas exchange

A memory aid for the physiological changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Pectoralis minor, Coracobrachialis, short head of Biceps brachii

A mnemonic for the muscles attaching to the coracoid process.

Cori cycle carries lactate; the alanine cycle also carries nitrogen

A memory aid for the two cycles returning muscle carbon to the liver.

Epithelium, Bowman layer, stroma, Descemet membrane, endothelium

A mnemonic for the five layers of the cornea.

Touch with five, blink with seven

Mnemonic for the afferent and efferent nerves of the corneal reflex.

Dominance is decided by whichever artery gives the posterior descending branch, the right in about 85 per cent

A memory aid for what determines coronary dominance and which artery supplies the conducting nodes.

Local metabolic factors dominate, especially adenosine and hypoxia

A memory aid for what controls coronary blood flow.

The left coronary artery fills in diastole, when the myocardium is relaxed

A memory aid for when the coronary arteries actually fill.

Great, middle and small cardiac veins, posterior vein of the left ventricle and the oblique vein of the left atrium

A memory aid for the veins draining into the coronary sinus.

Dilating already maximally dilated vessels diverts flow away from ischaemic territory

A memory aid for the mechanism of coronary steal.

Corrugator draws the brows together, a furrowed frown in any weather

Mnemonic for the frowning action of corrugator supercilii.

Body parts are represented in proportion to innervation density, not size

A memory aid for the somatotopic organisation of the cortex.

Differing glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid potency between agents

A memory aid for comparing corticosteroids and their effects.

Raises glucose, breaks down protein and fat, suppresses immunity, and maintains vascular tone

A mnemonic for the metabolic and other actions of cortisol.

Hypotension, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and hypoglycaemia

A memory aid for the features of adrenal insufficiency.

Formed by the cartilages of ribs 7 to 10, meeting at the xiphisternum

A memory aid for the formation of the costal margin and the significance of the subcostal angle.

The head articulates with two vertebral bodies; the tubercle articulates with one transverse process

A memory aid for the two joints anchoring a rib to the vertebral column.

Inspiration, glottic closure, compression, then explosive expiration

A memory aid for the stages and pathway of the cough reflex.

Eight segments, each with its own portal inflow and biliary drainage

A memory aid for the functional segmental anatomy of the liver.

Hairpin capillaries preserve the medullary gradient while still supplying blood

A memory aid for the role of the vasa recta.

The ascending limb pumps out salt, the descending limb loses water, and the gradient multiplies

A memory aid for how the loop of Henle creates the medullary gradient.

A palpable gallbladder with painless jaundice is unlikely to be due to stones

A memory aid for the significance of a palpable gallbladder in jaundice.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Emergency chest compressions and rescue measures used in cardiac arrest.

Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More

A mnemonic for the twelve cranial nerves and whether each is sensory or motor.

Sniff for one, smell tells if the first is gone

Mnemonic for testing the olfactory nerve at the bedside.

See for two, visual acuity and fields come through

Mnemonic for testing the optic nerve at the bedside.

Gag reflex afferent, posterior tongue taste and palatal sensation

A memory aid for testing the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Three and four live up top, five six seven eight bunk together in the pons, nine through twelve settle low

Mnemonic for which cranial nerve nuclei sit at each brainstem level.

Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Green Vegetables AH

Classic mnemonic for the order of the twelve cranial nerves.

Each reflex pairs a sensory nerve with a motor nerve

A memory aid for the afferent and efferent limbs of the main cranial nerve reflexes.

Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More

Mnemonic for whether each cranial nerve is sensory, motor or mixed.

Clench for five, feel the masseter come alive

Mnemonic for testing the motor function of the trigeminal nerve.

Three divisions tested separately, plus the corneal reflex

A memory aid for testing trigeminal sensation and the corneal reflex.

Smile, puff, frown for seven, raise your brows up toward heaven

Mnemonic for testing the facial nerve at the bedside.

Whisper test, tuning forks, then the vestibular tests

A memory aid for testing hearing and vestibular function.

Say ah for ten, watch the uvula pull, then

Mnemonic for testing the vagus nerve at the bedside.

Shrug and turn for eleven, against resistance, push like Kevin

Mnemonic for testing the accessory nerve at the bedside.

Stick out for twelve, tongue points toward the weaker shelf

Mnemonic for testing the hypoglossal nerve at the bedside.

Oh Once One Takes The Anatomy Final, Very Good Vacations Are Heavenly

A clean mnemonic for the order of the twelve cranial nerves.

Eye movements, pupils, lids and diplopia together

A memory aid for testing the ocular motor nerves at the bedside.

Colorectal cancer

Cancer arising from the colon or rectum.

Creatinine rises only after substantial loss of filtration, and depends on muscle mass

A memory aid for the limitations of serum creatinine.

L1 and L2, afferent by the ilioinguinal nerve and efferent by the genitofemoral

A memory aid for the nerve roots and pathway of the cremasteric reflex.

Rotates and slides like a knob on a dial, opens and closes the cords all the while

Mnemonic for the type of movement at the cricoarytenoid joint.

Cricoid sits at C6, where the airway becomes the trachea and the oesophagus truly begins

Mnemonic for the vertebral level of the cricoid cartilage.

Tilts and rocks like a see-saw plank, tenses the cords as it cranks

Mnemonic for the type of movement at the cricothyroid joint.

Between the shield and the ring

Mnemonic for the location of the cricothyroid membrane.

Feel the notch between shield and ring, that's the emergency door

Mnemonic for the emergency airway landmark of the cricothyroid membrane.

Croup barks and is gradual; epiglottitis drools and is sudden

A memory aid for distinguishing croup from epiglottitis in a child with stridor.

C-reactive protein

An inflammatory marker measured in blood tests.

The ACL stops the tibia sliding forward; the PCL stops the tibia sliding backward

A memory aid for the action of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments.

A halo ring on gauze or sheet, CSF mixed with blood, a telltale feat

Mnemonic for testing suspected cerebrospinal fluid leak from the nose.

Computed Tomography

Cross-sectional imaging using X-ray and computer reconstruction

Immediate scanning criteria and the one hour and eight hour rules

A memory aid for who needs a CT head after a head injury.

CT Angiogram

CT with IV contrast during arterial phase to image blood vessels

CT Colonoscopy

Virtual colonoscopy using CT to visualise colon lumen

CT Dose Index Volume

Volume-averaged CT dose metric (units milligrays)

CT Pulmonary Angiogram

CT with IV contrast to image pulmonary arteries

Cullen's is periumbilical bruising; Grey Turner's is flank bruising

A mnemonic for the two bruising signs of retroperitoneal haemorrhage.

Confusion, Urea, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, age 65

A mnemonic for scoring the severity of community acquired pneumonia.

Hypertension, bradycardia and irregular respiration

A mnemonic for the triad of raised intracranial pressure.

ACTH dependent or independent, with exogenous steroids the commonest of all

A memory aid for classifying the causes of cortisol excess.

Arteriovenous anastomoses under sympathetic control dominate skin flow

A memory aid for how skin blood flow is controlled.

Median nerve lateral three and a half digits (palmar), Ulnar nerve medial one and a half digits, Radial nerve dorsolateral hand

A memory aid for the sensory territories of the hand.

Chest X-Ray

Radiograph of the thorax

The five Ts, numbered by the great vessel count

A mnemonic for the cyanotic congenital heart lesions.

A defective chloride channel causes thick secretions in every exocrine organ

A memory aid for the molecular defect in cystic fibrosis.

Inducers speed metabolism and reduce effect; inhibitors slow it and increase effect

A mnemonic for the common enzyme inducers and inhibitors.

Interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor drive the acute phase response

A memory aid for the main inflammatory cytokines.

Cytology examines individual cells; histology examines tissue architecture

A memory aid for the difference between cytology and histology.

Microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules, in increasing size

A memory aid for the three cytoskeletal filament systems.

Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumour antibiotics and mitotic inhibitors

A memory aid for the chemotherapy classes and their signature toxicities.

A rule out test only, applied after a clinical probability score

A memory aid for when a D-dimer is useful and when it is not.

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Microscopic axonal tearing from shearing forces in severe head trauma

Nose to the mouth's two corners, no valves, straight line to the cavernous sinus

Mnemonic for the danger triangle formed by the nose and corners of the mouth.

Descending aorta, Azygos system, Thoracic duct, (o)Esophagus, Sympathetic chain

A mnemonic for the contents of the posterior mediastinum.

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced

Rapid serial imaging after gadolinium injection to assess perfusion and permeability

Ductal carcinoma in situ

A non-invasive malignant proliferation confined to breast ducts.

Physiological dead space equals anatomical plus alveolar dead space

A memory aid for anatomical, alveolar and physiological dead space.

Central first to bite, second molar ends the fight

Mnemonic for the approximate timing of deciduous tooth eruption.

Dual-Energy CT

CT using two X-ray energy spectra for material-specific characterisation

Investing, Pretracheal, Prevertebral, three coats around the neck

Mnemonic for the three main layers of deep cervical fascia.

Score first, then D-dimer or ultrasound accordingly

A memory aid for the Wells score and the diagnostic pathway for DVT.

Rectal distension triggers internal sphincter relaxation, with voluntary external sphincter control

A memory aid for the mechanism of defecation.

Clinical signs graded against percentage body weight loss

A memory aid for grading dehydration in a child.

Microscopic damage from eccentric contraction, not lactate

A memory aid for the mechanism of post-exercise muscle soreness.

Onset, course, attention and consciousness separate them

A memory aid for distinguishing delirium from dementia at the bedside.

Anterior fibres flex and medially rotate, middle fibres abduct, posterior fibres extend and laterally rotate

A memory aid for the three parts of deltoid and their actions.

Cholinesterase inhibitors first, memantine second

A memory aid for the drugs used in dementia and what to avoid.

SIGECAPS: Sleep, Interest, Guilt, Energy, Concentration, Appetite, Psychomotor, Suicide

A mnemonic for the symptoms of depression.

Papillary dermis is fine and vascular; reticular dermis is dense and strong

A memory aid for the layers and contents of the dermis.

Site, size, shape, surface, edge, consistency, mobility and more

A memory aid for the features to describe in any lump or swelling.

Site, distribution, morphology, colour, border, surface and secondary change

A memory aid for the vocabulary and structure of a dermatological description.

Base, edge, depth, discharge, site and the surrounding skin

A memory aid for describing an ulcer and inferring its cause.

Disproportionately Enlarged Subarachnoid-space Hydrocephalus

Magnetic resonance imaging finding in normal pressure hydrocephalus

Afferent constriction lowers GFR; efferent constriction raises it

A memory aid for how the afferent and efferent arterioles control filtration.

Barlow dislocates, Ortolani relocates

A memory aid for the Ortolani and Barlow tests and the risk factors.

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

Alternative acronym for DXA

Confirm cortisol excess, then localise with ACTH and high dose suppression

A memory aid for investigating suspected Cushing's syndrome.

Central lacks the hormone; nephrogenic cannot respond to it

A memory aid for distinguishing central from nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Type 1 is absolute insulin deficiency; type 2 is resistance with relative deficiency

A memory aid for distinguishing the types of diabetes.

Skin, deformity, neuropathy and circulation

A memory aid for the annual diabetic foot check.

Fluid first, then fixed rate insulin, watching the potassium

A memory aid for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Insulin deficiency with counter-regulatory excess causes hyperglycaemia and ketogenesis

A memory aid for the mechanism of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Hyperfiltration, then microalbuminuria, then proteinuria and decline

A memory aid for the stages and histology of diabetic kidney disease.

HbA1c, fasting glucose, random glucose and the tolerance test

A memory aid for the diagnostic thresholds for diabetes.

Diffusion for small solutes, convection for larger ones, ultrafiltration for water

A memory aid for the transport principles used in dialysis.

Pericardiacophrenic, musculophrenic and superior phrenic arteries above; inferior phrenic arteries below

A memory aid for the arteries supplying the diaphragm from above and below.

Septum transversum, pleuroperitoneal membranes, dorsal mesentery of the oesophagus, and body wall

A mnemonic for the four embryological contributions to the diaphragm.

Sternal, costal and lumbar parts, all converging on the central tendon

A memory aid for the three parts of the diaphragm's origin.

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

Universal standard for digital medical imaging file format and communication

Measured with carbon monoxide, reflecting surface area, membrane thickness and haemoglobin

A memory aid for the transfer factor and what alters it.

Two bellies, one tendon sling, anterior chews forward, posterior pulls back

Mnemonic for the two bellies of digastric and their different nerve supplies.

Anterior belly's fed by five, posterior by seven, one muscle, two masters driven

Mnemonic for the differing nerve supply of the two digastric bellies.

CATCH-22

Mnemonic for the clinical features of DiGeorge syndrome linked to pharyngeal pouch failure.

Inspect, then palpate the canal, rectum and prostate

A memory aid for performing and interpreting a rectal examination.

Nausea, confusion, yellow vision and arrhythmia, worsened by hypokalaemia

A memory aid for recognising and treating digoxin toxicity.

Dilator naris widens the door when you need more air to pour

Mnemonic for the action of dilator naris during breathing.

Direct detects antibody on the cells, indirect detects antibody in the plasma

A memory aid for the Coombs tests and the causes of a positive result.

Indirect passes lateral to the inferior epigastric vessels; direct pushes through medial to them

A mnemonic for distinguishing direct from indirect inguinal hernias.

Widespread activation of coagulation consumes factors and platelets, causing both thrombosis and bleeding

A memory aid for the mechanism and results in DIC.

You can get above a kidney and ballotte it; you cannot with a spleen

A memory aid for telling an enlarged left kidney from an enlarged spleen.

Bradycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction and splenic contraction

A memory aid for the cardiovascular response to facial immersion.

Dose-Length Product

CT dose metric combining CTDIvol and scan length (units milligrays times centimetre)

Each pathway repairs a different kind of damage

A memory aid for the DNA repair pathways and the diseases of their failure.

Semi-conservative, bidirectional, with leading and lagging strands

A memory aid for the enzymes and features of DNA replication.

On the dorsum of the foot, lateral to the extensor hallucis longus tendon

A memory aid for where to feel the dorsalis pedis pulse.

Dose Reference Level

Typical dose level for a standard imaging procedure used for dose comparison

Prescribed, over the counter, herbal, recreational, and the allergy detail

A memory aid for taking a complete medication history.

Hepatocellular, cholestatic or mixed; intrinsic or idiosyncratic

A memory aid for recognising and classifying drug induced liver injury.

Phase I modifies the molecule; phase II conjugates it

A memory aid for the two phases of drug metabolism.

Ion channels, G protein coupled, kinase linked and nuclear receptors

A memory aid for the receptor types drugs act on and their speed.

Working backwards from the symptom to the likely drug

A memory aid for the drug causes of frequently seen adverse effects.

Warfarin, retinoids, ACE inhibitors, valproate and tetracyclines among others

A memory aid for the recognised teratogens.

Digital Subtraction Angiography

High-resolution vessel imaging using digital subtraction technique

Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Diffusion-weighted technique measuring anisotropic diffusion along white matter tracts

Superior, descending, horizontal and ascending, 2, 8, 10 and 5 centimetres

A mnemonic for the four parts of the duodenum and their lengths.

Sally Sees Cats Turn Sideways, Jumping

Mnemonic for the pathway of venous drainage through the major dural sinuses.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Blood clot in deep veins of leg or arm

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

MRI sequence sensitive to water motion (Brownian diffusion)

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Background Body Signal Suppression

Diffusion-weighted imaging technique suppressing background body signal for improved lesion visualisation

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

Imaging technique measuring bone mineral density

Beyond a certain effort, higher pleural pressure compresses airways and flow cannot increase

A memory aid for why forced expiration is effort independent.

Language, articulation and voice are separate problems

A memory aid for distinguishing the disorders of speech and language.

Metaplasia, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, then invasion

A memory aid for the steps from normal epithelium to invasive cancer.

Otoscopy, then Rinne and Weber to classify hearing loss

A memory aid for otoscopy and the tuning fork tests.

Electrocardiogram

A recording of the heart’s electrical activity over time.

II, III and aVF inferior; V1 to V4 anterior; I, aVL, V5 and V6 lateral

A memory aid for which ECG leads look at which part of the heart.

Rate, rhythm, axis, intervals, then the waves in every lead

A memory aid for reading an ECG systematically.

P atrial depolarisation, QRS ventricular depolarisation, T ventricular repolarisation

A memory aid for what each ECG wave and interval represents.

Parasternal, apical and subcostal windows, transthoracic or transoesophageal

A memory aid for the standard echocardiographic views and what they answer.

Extradural Haematoma

Blood between skull and dura mater

End-Diastolic Velocity

Blood velocity at end of diastole on Doppler ultrasound

Ejection Fraction

Percentage of left ventricular volume ejected with each contraction

Extended FAST

FAST protocol plus additional views to assess for pneumothorax

Hypercalcaemia shortens the QT interval; hypocalcaemia prolongs it

A memory aid for the cardiac effects of calcium disturbance.

Hyperkalaemia gives tall T waves and a wide QRS; hypokalaemia gives flat T waves and U waves

A memory aid for the cardiac effects of hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia.

Falling barometric pressure lowers inspired oxygen, driving hyperventilation and acclimatisation

A memory aid for the respiratory adaptations to altitude.

Reduced functional residual capacity, blunted drive, and atelectasis

A memory aid for the respiratory changes under general anaesthesia.

Acetazolamide proximal, loop diuretics in the loop, thiazides distal, potassium sparers in the collecting duct

A memory aid for where each diuretic class acts and its electrolyte effects.

Pressure rises by one atmosphere for every 10 metres of seawater

A memory aid for the respiratory effects of increased ambient pressure.

Muscle wasting, bone loss, orthostatic intolerance and thrombosis

A memory aid for the systemic consequences of prolonged bed rest.

Cyclo-oxygenase makes prostaglandins; lipoxygenase makes leukotrienes

A memory aid for the arachidonic acid pathways.

Old People From Texas Eat Spiders Sometimes

Mnemonic for the eight bones that form the cranial vault and base.

Three bipolar limb leads forming a triangle around the heart

A memory aid for the arrangement of the limb leads.

Stroke volume divided by end-diastolic volume, normally over 50 per cent

A memory aid for calculating and interpreting ejection fraction.

The elbow is a hinge joint allowing only flexion and extension

A memory aid for the movements and muscles of the elbow joint.

The standard adult reference values for the basic metabolic panel

A memory aid for the normal ranges of common biochemistry results.

Renal biopsy, ciliary disorders, storage disease and undifferentiated tumours

A memory aid for when electron microscopy is diagnostically necessary.

Four complexes pumping protons, and ATP synthase using the gradient

A memory aid for the complexes of the respiratory chain and their inhibitors.

Little bridges connect scalp veins to sinus deep, infection's secret sneak

Mnemonic for the role of emissary veins in the scalp.

Centriacinar from smoking, panacinar from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

A memory aid for the patterns of emphysema.

Site predicts organism, and organism predicts the antibiotic

A memory aid for first line antibiotics by infection site.

The patient, the bedside and the surroundings

A memory aid for the clues visible before touching the patient.

Proliferative under oestrogen, secretory under progesterone

A memory aid for the histological changes of the endometrium through the cycle.

Nitric oxide and prostacyclin dilate; endothelin and thromboxane constrict

A memory aid for the vasoactive substances released by endothelium.

Auerbach's myenteric plexus controls motility; Meissner's submucosal plexus controls secretion

A mnemonic for the two plexuses of the enteric nervous system.

Intrinsic enteric plexuses modulated by parasympathetic and sympathetic input

A memory aid for the intrinsic and extrinsic control of the gut.

Bile salts are reabsorbed in the terminal ileum and returned to the liver by the portal vein

A memory aid for the recycling of bile salts between gut and liver.

Most B vitamins are coenzyme precursors for specific reaction types

A memory aid for which vitamin becomes which coenzyme.

What happens to Km and Vmax distinguishes them

A memory aid for competitive, non-competitive and uncompetitive inhibition.

Km reflects affinity and Vmax reflects capacity

A memory aid for Michaelis-Menten kinetics and enzyme inhibition.

Each tissue releases a characteristic enzyme profile when damaged

A memory aid for which enzyme indicates which tissue.

Allosteric control, covalent modification, and changes in enzyme quantity

A memory aid for how enzyme activity is controlled.

Come Let's Get Sun Burnt: basale, spinosum, granulosum, lucidum, corneum

A mnemonic for the layers of the epidermis from deep to superficial.

Epidural is a lens, subdural is a banana

Mnemonic for the imaging shapes of epidural and subdural bleeds.

Elastic, so it springs back into place, epiglottis bounces, doesn't lose face

Mnemonic for the elastic cartilage composition of the epiglottis.

Portal triad in front, inferior vena cava behind, caudate lobe above, duodenum below

A memory aid for the boundaries of the foramen of Winslow.

Simple or stratified, then squamous, cuboidal or columnar

A memory aid for classifying epithelium by layers and cell shape.

Microvilli, stereocilia and cilia, with different structure and function

A memory aid for the apical specialisations of epithelial cells.

Great auricular, lesser occipital, transverse cervical, supraclavicular, four nerves burst at the border

Mnemonic for the four cutaneous nerves emerging at Erb's point.

Erb's palsy is C5 to C6 (upper trunk); Klumpke's palsy is C8 to T1 (lower trunk)

A memory aid to distinguish upper and lower brachial plexus injuries.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Fluoroscopic endoscopic procedure combining endoscopy and X-ray for biliary intervention

Point and Shoot: parasympathetic for erection, sympathetic for emission

A memory aid for the mechanism of erection and ejaculation.

Biconcave anucleate discs with central pallor, and anucleate platelet fragments

A memory aid for the normal appearance of red cells and platelets.

Produced by renal interstitial cells in response to hypoxia

A memory aid for the production and action of erythropoietin.

CRP rises and falls fast; ESR is slow and influenced by many factors

A memory aid for choosing between the two inflammatory markers.

PVT TIM HaLL: Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine, Leucine, Lysine

A mnemonic for the nine essential amino acids.

Opens to equalise, pops when you fly, blocks and your ear says goodbye

Mnemonic for the role of the eustachian tube.

Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Minimally invasive stent-graft placement for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Calcium entry triggers calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum

A memory aid for how a cardiac action potential produces contraction.

Graded exercise with continuous ECG, looking for ischaemic change

A memory aid for the use, endpoints and limits of exercise ECG testing.

Classified by duct branching, secretory unit shape and mode of secretion

A memory aid for classifying glands by structure and secretion.

SPIKES: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy

A mnemonic for a structured approach to difficult conversations.

Some Ladies Find Occlusion Painful, So They Make Out

Mnemonic for the eight branches of the external carotid artery.

Helix wraps the whole way round, down to the lobe it's found

Mnemonic for the main visible landmarks of the auricle from outer rim to canal.

Six hillocks of His fuse to build the outer ear's rise

Mnemonic for the embryological origin of the external ear.

Posterior auricular meets the back door of the retromandibular, external jugular is born

Mnemonic for the formation of the external jugular vein.

Ties close to the superior thyroid vessels, injure it, lose your high notes

Mnemonic for the surgical risk to the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.

Four recti spring from a common ring, the obliques do their own thing

Mnemonic for the shared origin of most extraocular muscles.

LR6 SO4 rest 3

Mnemonic for which cranial nerves supply the extraocular muscles.

Lateral rectus six, superior oblique four, everyone else reports to three

Mnemonic combining lateral rectus, superior oblique and the rest of the extraocular muscles by nerve.

Six steer the eye, plus one lifts the lid, seven total, that's the bid

Mnemonic for the total number of extraocular muscles including the eyelid elevator.

Acuity, fields, pupils, movements, then the fundus

A memory aid for the order of an ophthalmic examination.

Skin Meets The Curtain

Mnemonic for the four layers of the eyelid from skin to conjunctiva.

Levator lifts, orbicularis shuts

Mnemonic for the antagonist muscles that open and close the eyelid.

F1 Score

Harmonic mean of precision and recall; balances sensitivity and positive predictive value

Climbs from the jaw, past the mouth's corner, up beside the nose, a winding road that shows

Mnemonic for the winding course of the facial artery.

Feel it at the jaw's angle and beside the nose, the facial artery's winding road

Mnemonic for the two places the facial artery pulse can be felt.

V1 V2 V3 divide the face like slices of pie, forehead to chin

Mnemonic for how the trigeminal divisions split facial sensation.

Two Zebras Bit My Coccyx

Mnemonic for the five terminal branches of the facial nerve within the parotid gland.

Forehead sparing separates the two

A memory aid for distinguishing an upper from a lower motor neurone facial palsy.

Labyrinthine, tympanic, mastoid, three segments bend like a Z through the ear

Mnemonic for the three named segments of the facial nerve within the temporal bone.

No valves means no one way street, infection can travel any way it please

Mnemonic for the danger posed by the valveless facial vein.

Local factors at the wound, systemic factors in the patient

A mnemonic for the local and systemic factors delaying wound healing.

The bare area is the part of the liver in direct contact with the diaphragm

A memory aid for the peritoneal covering of the liver and its gaps.

What happened, why, and what damage was done

A memory aid for the multifactorial assessment of a patient who has fallen.

Very high cholesterol, tendon xanthomata and a family history of early death

A memory aid for recognising familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Face, Arms, Speech, Time

A stroke recognition mnemonic.

Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma

Rapid bedside ultrasound protocol assessing free fluid in four views

Fat after long bone fracture, amniotic fluid around delivery

A memory aid for the non-thrombotic embolic syndromes.

Emulsification, lipolysis, micelle formation, absorption and chylomicron export

A memory aid for the steps of fat handling in the gut.

ADEK: absorbed with fat, stored in the body, and capable of toxicity

A mnemonic for the fat soluble vitamins and their functions.

Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, with omega-3 and omega-6 essential

A memory aid for the types of dietary fatty acid.

Carnitine shuttles long chain fatty acids into mitochondria for beta oxidation

A memory aid for beta oxidation and its requirements.

Cytoplasmic synthesis from acetyl-CoA using NADPH, with acetyl-CoA carboxylase rate limiting

A memory aid for how fatty acids are made.

Full blood count

A common blood test measuring red cells, white cells and platelets.

Fluorodeoxyglucose

Fluorine-18 labelled glucose analogue (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) for positron emission tomography imaging

Insulin dominates the fed state; glucagon and catecholamines dominate fasting

A memory aid for the metabolic shifts between feeding and fasting.

Inguinal ligament in front, pectineal ligament behind, lacunar ligament medially, femoral vein laterally

A mnemonic for the boundaries of the femoral ring.

Mainly the medial circumflex femoral artery, with the lateral circumflex femoral and the artery of the ligamentum teres

A memory aid for why an intracapsular hip fracture risks avascular necrosis.

Extends the knee, flexes the hip and supplies sensation to the anteromedial thigh and medial leg

A memory aid for the motor and sensory role of the femoral nerve.

Lateral artery, middle vein and medial femoral canal with lymphatics

A memory aid for the compartments of the femoral sheath.

Sartorius, Adductor Longus and the Inguinal Ligament

A mnemonic for the borders of the femoral triangle.

Inguinal is above and medial to the pubic tubercle; femoral is below and lateral

A mnemonic for distinguishing femoral from inguinal hernias at the bedside.

Fertilisation in the ampulla, implantation about 6 to 10 days later

A memory aid for the events from fertilisation to implantation.

The placenta is the organ of gas exchange, with three shunts bypassing liver and lungs

A memory aid for how the fetal circulation delivers oxygen.

Ductus venosus, foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus

A mnemonic for the three shunts of the fetal circulation.

Chloride-driven secretion in utero switches to sodium-driven absorption at birth

A memory aid for the clearance of lung fluid at birth.

The first breath drops pulmonary resistance and clamping the cord raises systemic resistance

A memory aid for the circulatory changes at birth.

Ductus arteriosus becomes ligamentum arteriosum, ductus venosus becomes ligamentum venosum, umbilical vein becomes ligamentum teres

A memory aid for what each fetal vessel becomes after birth.

Cardiac output equals oxygen consumption divided by the arteriovenous oxygen difference

A memory aid for calculating cardiac output from oxygen consumption.

GFR divided by renal plasma flow, normally about 20 per cent

A memory aid for filtration fraction and what changes it.

Near the ear, close to the parotid, a leftover groove, that's the plot to it

Mnemonic for the typical location of a first branchial cleft cyst.

Abductor hallucis, Flexor digitorum brevis and Abductor digiti minimi

A memory aid for the three muscles in the first layer of the sole.

Drug absorbed from the gut passes through the liver before reaching the systemic circulation

A memory aid for the first pass effect and how it is bypassed.

Vein in front of the scalene tubercle, artery and lower trunk behind it

A memory aid for the order of structures crossing the first rib.

Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery

T2-like sequence with cerebrospinal fluid suppression using inversion recovery

Fleischner Society

Society guidelines for management of incidentally discovered pulmonary nodules on computed tomography

Laterally the scaphoid and trapezium, medially the pisiform and hook of hamate

A memory aid for the bony attachments of the flexor retinaculum.

Mylohyoid makes the sling, geniohyoid sits above the string

Mnemonic for the two muscles forming the floor of the mouth.

Scooped expiratory limb in obstruction; flattening indicates large airway obstruction

A memory aid for interpreting the shape of the flow-volume loop.

Crystalloids distribute by tonicity; colloids stay longer in the plasma

A memory aid for the composition and distribution of intravenous fluids.

History, observations, examination and charts together

A memory aid for assessing whether a patient is dry or overloaded.

Functional MRI

MRI measuring brain activation using BOLD contrast during tasks or at rest

Fine Needle Aspiration

Image-guided biopsy using 25 to 27 gauge needle for cytology

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

Fine needle aspiration with cytology analysis

Folate donates one carbon units for thymidine and purine synthesis

A memory aid for folate metabolism and the drugs that block it.

Big Diamond Front, Small Triangle Back

Mnemonic for the four fontanelles of the infant skull.

Lacerum looks big but it's mostly filled, nothing much really gets through

Mnemonic for the largely cartilage filled foramen lacerum.

The big hole carries the big stuff

Mnemonic for the major structures passing through the foramen magnum.

OVAL door for the big jaw nerve

Mnemonic for the nerve passing through the foramen ovale.

ROUND hole, round cheek nerve

Mnemonic for the nerve passing through the foramen rotundum.

Spiny needle brings the blood in

Mnemonic for the vessel passing through the foramen spinosum.

Foregut to mid-duodenum, midgut to two-thirds of the transverse colon, hindgut to the upper rectum

A memory aid for which organs arise from each embryological gut segment.

Four layers from superficial to deep, supplied by the medial and lateral plantar nerves

A memory aid for the four layers of muscles in the sole of the foot.

Ciliary sees, pterygopalatine cries, otic chews, submandibular drools

Mnemonic for the four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and their linked cranial nerves.

Two Zygomatic Nasal Every Maxilla Loves Vomer, In Public

Mnemonic for the fourteen bones of the facial skeleton.

Field of View

Spatial extent of magnetic resonance imaging acquisition; larger field of view shows more anatomy but lower resolution

Below 1 per cent suggests prerenal; above 2 per cent suggests tubular injury

A memory aid for using FENa to distinguish prerenal from intrinsic renal failure.

A marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation

A memory aid for the use of FeNO in diagnosing asthma.

The more the ventricle fills, the harder it contracts, within limits

A memory aid for the relationship between ventricular filling and stroke volume.

Unpaired electrons attacking lipids, proteins and DNA

A memory aid for the sources and consequences of free radical damage.

Reactive oxygen species damage lipids, proteins and DNA unless neutralised

A memory aid for oxidative stress and its defences.

The volume of solute-free water excreted or retained per unit time

A memory aid for the concept of free water clearance.

Sweat while you eat, parotid surgery crosses gustatory and sweat nerve fibres

Mnemonic for the mechanism behind Frey's syndrome after parotid surgery.

Frontalis raises the brow in surprise, no bone beneath it, just skin that flies

Mnemonic for the unique bone-free attachment of frontalis.

Margins, tissue identification, and confirming malignancy during surgery

A memory aid for when an intraoperative frozen section is used.

Both enter glycolysis, and blocks in either pathway cause distinct disorders

A memory aid for the metabolism of the other dietary sugars.

Three cell lines, then the indices, then the film

A memory aid for reading a full blood count systematically.

The balance point where inward lung recoil equals outward chest wall recoil

A memory aid for what raises and lowers functional residual capacity.

A WET BED: Acid-base, Water, Electrolytes, Toxins, Blood pressure, Erythropoietin, vitamin D

A mnemonic for the main functions of the kidney.

Loss of NADPH leaves red cells defenceless against oxidative stress

A memory aid for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and its triggers.

Nine tastes it, ten gags it

Mnemonic for the afferent and efferent nerves of the gag reflex.

Each gait points to a specific level of the nervous system

A memory aid for recognising the classic pathological gaits.

Simple columnar epithelium with no muscularis mucosae or submucosa

A memory aid for the microscopic structure of the biliary tract.

Fundus, body, infundibulum and neck

A memory aid for the four parts of the gallbladder.

A large stone erodes into the duodenum and impacts at the terminal ileum

A memory aid for the anatomy of gallstone ileus and Rigler's triad.

Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine

A mnemonic for the rapid musculoskeletal screening examination.

Dorsal root ganglion cells are large and regular; autonomic ganglion cells are smaller and scattered

A memory aid for distinguishing sensory from autonomic ganglia.

Un-ionised drug is absorbed, so weak acids favour the stomach and weak bases the intestine

A memory aid for how gut pH affects drug absorption.

Intestinal type from atrophic gastritis, diffuse type with signet ring cells

A memory aid for the types and spread of stomach cancer.

Duodenal fat, acid, hypertonicity and protein all slow emptying

A memory aid for the factors controlling gastric emptying.

Parietal cells make acid and intrinsic factor, chief cells make pepsinogen, G cells make gastrin

A memory aid for the secretory cells of the gastric mucosa.

Four main zones draining ultimately to the coeliac nodes

A memory aid for the lymphatic drainage of the stomach.

Mucus and bicarbonate layer, tight junctions, rapid turnover and good blood flow

A memory aid for how the stomach protects itself from its own acid.

Gastrocolic, enterogastric, gastroileal and intestino-intestinal reflexes

A memory aid for the named reflexes coordinating gut activity.

Acute mesenteric ischaemia affects the small bowel; ischaemic colitis affects watershed colon

A memory aid for the types of intestinal ischaemia.

Gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin and GIP, each with a distinct trigger

A memory aid for the major gut hormones and their actions.

Gallbladder

Pear-shaped organ storing and concentrating bile

Glasgow Coma Scale

A clinical scale used to assess level of consciousness.

Transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational

A memory aid for the levels at which gene expression is controlled.

Propofol for induction, volatile agents for maintenance

A memory aid for the intravenous and inhalational anaesthetic agents.

Dominant appears in every generation; recessive skips; X-linked spares father to son

A memory aid for recognising modes of inheritance from a pedigree.

Resolution rises from whole chromosome to single base

A memory aid for choosing between karyotype, FISH, array and sequencing.

Glomerular filtration rate

A measure of kidney filtration function.

Ground Glass Opacity

Computed tomography finding showing hazy opacity without obscuring underlying vessels

Glenohumeral

Shoulder joint between humeral head and glenoid fossa

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour

Mesenchymal tumour of gastrointestinal tract; KIT-positive; arise from Cajal cells

Eyes out of 4, Verbal out of 5, Motor out of 6

A memory aid for the components and scoring of the GCS.

Astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and ependyma centrally; Schwann cells peripherally

A memory aid for the glial cells and their functions.

Fenestrated endothelium, basement membrane, and podocyte foot processes

A memory aid for the three layers of the filtration barrier.

Proliferative, membranous, sclerosing and crescentic patterns

A memory aid for the histological patterns of glomerular disease.

The proximal tubule reabsorbs a constant fraction of whatever is filtered

A memory aid for the constant fractional reabsorption in the proximal tubule.

Glucagon first, then adrenaline, then cortisol and growth hormone

A memory aid for the hormonal defence against hypoglycaemia.

Pyruvate carboxylase, PEP carboxykinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase

A memory aid for the four enzymes that bypass the irreversible steps of glycolysis.

Glucose appears in urine once plasma glucose exceeds about 10 mmol/l

A memory aid for the renal threshold for glucose.

Extends and laterally rotates the hip, inserting into the iliotibial tract and the gluteal tuberosity

A memory aid for the actions and insertions of gluteus maximus.

Glycogen synthase builds; glycogen phosphorylase breaks down

A memory aid for glycogen synthesis and breakdown.

Von Gierke, Pompe, Cori and McArdle, by the organ affected

A memory aid for the main glycogen storage diseases.

Ten steps converting glucose to two pyruvate, with a net gain of two ATP

A memory aid for the key steps and regulation of glycolysis.

Gluteus maximus extends; gluteus medius/minimus abduct and stabilise the pelvis

A simple memory aid for gluteal muscle actions.

Unicellular mucous glands, increasing distally along the gut

A memory aid for goblet cell structure, distribution and disease relevance.

Anterior openings track radially; posterior openings curve to the midline

A mnemonic for predicting the course of an anal fistula tract.

Colour, shape and arrangement narrow the organism quickly

A memory aid for identifying organisms from the Gram stain.

Infection, foreign body, sarcoidosis, Crohn disease and vasculitis

A mnemonic for the causes of granulomatous inflammation.

Great auricular covers the ear and the angle of the jaw

Mnemonic for the sensory territory of the great auricular nerve.

Runs in front of the medial malleolus up the medial leg to drain into the femoral vein

A memory aid for the course and landmarks of the great saphenous vein.

Right shares a trunk, left stands alone, straight off the arch it's grown

Mnemonic for the asymmetric origin of the subclavian arteries relevant to neck vessel anatomy.

The greater sac is the main cavity; the lesser sac lies behind the stomach

A memory aid for the two compartments of the peritoneal cavity.

A four-layered apron hanging from the greater curvature of the stomach

A memory aid for the attachments and function of the greater omentum.

The first branch off the facial, headed for the crying ganglion

Mnemonic for the destination of the greater petrosal nerve.

Structures above and below piriformis as they leave the pelvis

A memory aid for the structures passing through the greater sciatic foramen.

Group and save identifies the blood type; crossmatch reserves specific units

A memory aid for pre-transfusion testing and the safety rules.

Pulsatile secretion controlled by GHRH and somatostatin, acting largely through IGF-1

A memory aid for the control and actions of growth hormone.

Fermentation, vitamin synthesis, colonisation resistance and immune education

A memory aid for what the intestinal microbiota does.

Mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa and serosa or adventitia

A memory aid for the four layers of the gastrointestinal wall.

Peyer's patches, M cells, lamina propria lymphocytes and secretory IgA

A memory aid for the immune apparatus of the gut.

Ulnar nerve and ulnar artery

A memory aid for the structures passing through Guyon's canal at the wrist.

Trace a big H in the air, that's how all six muscles show their care

Mnemonic for the shape traced when testing all six extraocular muscles.

Nose to lip to eye, an H shaped tie, infections here risk the brain nearby

Mnemonic for the danger zone of facial infection spread.

Hepatic Artery

Artery supplying liver; arises from celiac trunk as common hepatic artery

Begins and ends in the mitochondrion, with ALA synthase rate limiting

A memory aid for haem synthesis and where the porphyrias arise.

Four globin chains each with a haem group; HbA is two alpha and two beta

A memory aid for haemoglobin structure and the main variants.

Sickle is a qualitative defect, thalassaemia a quantitative one

A memory aid for sickle cell disease and the thalassaemias.

Raised reticulocytes, bilirubin and LDH with low haptoglobin

A memory aid for the markers of haemolysis.

Vasoconstriction, platelet plug, coagulation cascade, then fibrinolysis

A memory aid for the stages of haemostasis.

Anagen growing, catagen regressing, telogen resting

A memory aid for the hair follicle and its growth cycle.

Self-sufficiency in growth, evasion of death, limitless replication, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis

A memory aid for the acquired capabilities of a malignant cell.

True hamstrings cross both the hip and knee and are mainly supplied by the tibial division of the sciatic nerve

A memory rule for identifying true hamstring muscles.

Radial nerve wrist drop, ulnar nerve claw hand, median nerve hand of benediction or ape hand

A memory aid linking each major nerve palsy to its hand deformity.

Look, feel, move and function, with characteristic deformity patterns

A memory aid for examining the rheumatological hand.

Glycated haemoglobin

A blood marker reflecting average blood glucose over roughly the previous two to three months.

Reflects average glucose over the preceding 8 to 12 weeks

A memory aid for what HbA1c measures and when it misleads.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary liver cancer; usually develops in cirrhotic liver

Outer ear collects, middle ear amplifies, cochlea transduces by place coding

A memory aid for how sound is transduced and conducted.

First degree long PR, second degree some dropped beats, third degree complete dissociation

A memory aid for the degrees of atrioventricular block.

Sympathetic activation, renin-angiotensin activation, and ventricular remodelling

A memory aid for the compensatory mechanisms in heart failure and why they fail.

ACE inhibitor, beta blocker, mineralocorticoid antagonist and SGLT2 inhibitor

A memory aid for the drugs that improve survival in heart failure.

S1 atrioventricular valves close, S2 semilunar valves close, S3 rapid filling, S4 atrial contraction

A memory aid for what produces each of the four heart sounds.

Right ventricle anteriorly, left ventricle laterally, left atrium at the base

A memory aid for which chamber forms each surface of the heart.

Tricuspid has anterior, posterior and septal cusps; mitral has anterior and posterior

A memory aid for the names of the cusps of each heart valve.

Endocardium, myocardium and epicardium, from inside out

A memory aid for the three layers of the heart wall.

Central nervous system dysfunction defines heat stroke

A memory aid for distinguishing heat exhaustion from heat stroke.

Triple therapy: a proton pump inhibitor plus two antibiotics for 7 days

A memory aid for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.

pH depends on the ratio of bicarbonate to carbon dioxide, not their absolute values

A memory aid for the relationship between pH, bicarbonate and carbon dioxide.

Zone 1 is periportal and best oxygenated; zone 3 is centrilobular and most vulnerable

A memory aid for the three zones of the hepatic lobule and their vulnerability.

Surface antigen means infection, surface antibody means protection

A memory aid for interpreting the hepatitis B serological markers.

Splanchnic vasodilatation causes intense compensatory renal vasoconstriction

A memory aid for the mechanism of renal failure in liver disease.

Inflation inhibits further inspiration; deflation stimulates it

A memory aid for the pulmonary stretch reflexes.

Examine standing and lying, with a cough impulse and reducibility

A memory aid for examining a groin or abdominal hernia.

Sliding hernia moves the junction upwards; rolling hernia keeps it in place

A mnemonic for the two main types of hiatus hernia.

Uneven hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction overperfuses some capillaries

A memory aid for the mechanism of high altitude pulmonary oedema.

MUDPILES or GOLDMARK for the unmeasured anions

A mnemonic for the causes of a raised anion gap metabolic acidosis.

Anaemia, pregnancy, thyrotoxicosis, sepsis, beriberi, Paget disease and arteriovenous fistula

A mnemonic for the causes of a high output circulation.

The left hilum is normally higher than the right, never lower

A memory aid for the normal position of the lung hila on a chest film.

Look, feel, move, with the Trendelenburg and Thomas tests

A memory aid for examining the hip, including Trendelenburg and Thomas tests.

Iliofemoral, pubofemoral and ischiofemoral ligaments

A memory aid for the three capsular ligaments of the hip joint.

Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, medial rotation and lateral rotation

A memory aid for the movements of the hip and their main muscles.

Absent ganglion cells starting at the rectum and extending proximally, with the narrow segment being the abnormal one

A memory aid for the anatomy of aganglionic megacolon.

Fourth generation antigen and antibody test, negative from 45 days

A memory aid for the HIV test, its window period and the monitoring markers.

Specific tissue types predisposing to specific autoimmune diseases

A memory aid for the classic HLA associations.

Hodgkin has Reed-Sternberg cells and spreads contiguously; non-Hodgkin does not

A memory aid for distinguishing the two groups of lymphoma.

Cystathionine beta synthase deficiency, resembling Marfan syndrome with thrombosis

A memory aid for the features of homocystinuria.

Compare the trophic hormone with the target hormone to localise the lesion

A memory aid for interpreting paired hormone measurements.

Oestrogen for symptoms, progestogen to protect the endometrium

A memory aid for the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy.

PAM, Ptosis Anhidrosis Miosis

Mnemonic for the three signs of Horner's syndrome.

The kidney ascends from the pelvis to the lumbar region, and a fused lower pole is caught by the inferior mesenteric artery

A memory aid for the embryological ascent of the kidney and the origin of a horseshoe kidney.

Heart rate

The number of heart beats per minute.

High-Resolution CT

Thin-slice CT with optimised reconstruction for lung parenchyma detail

Hysterosalpingogram

Fluoroscopic contrast study of uterus and fallopian tubes

Hounsfield Unit

Scale of CT radiodensity (water equals 0 HU, air equals minus 1000 HU, bone approximately plus 1000 HU)

Hepatic Vein

Veins draining liver to inferior vena cava; three major (right, middle, left)

The only bone that touches no other bone, floats alone, on muscle sling it's grown

Mnemonic for the unusual isolated position of the hyoid bone.

Hyoid sits at C3, feel it just below your chin

Mnemonic for the vertebral level of the hyoid bone.

Primary hyperparathyroidism and malignancy account for 90 per cent

A memory aid for the causes of a raised calcium.

Protect the heart, shift it in, then remove it

A mnemonic for the emergency treatment of a high potassium.

Stabilise the membrane, shift potassium into cells, then remove it from the body

A memory aid for the three-step approach to hyperkalaemia.

Extreme hyperglycaemia and dehydration without significant ketosis

A memory aid for contrasting HHS with diabetic ketoacidosis.

Physiological, pharmacological, pathological and the stalk effect

A memory aid for the causes of a raised prolactin.

Organic dust exposure causing an immune reaction in the alveoli

A memory aid for extrinsic allergic alveolitis and its named causes.

ACID: Anaphylactic, Cytotoxic, Immune complex, Delayed

A mnemonic for the four types of hypersensitivity.

Raised cardiac output early, raised systemic vascular resistance later

A memory aid for the mechanisms underlying essential hypertension.

End organ damage, not the number, defines the emergency

A memory aid for distinguishing hypertensive emergency from urgency.

Respiratory alkalosis causes paraesthesiae, tetany and cerebral vasoconstriction

A memory aid for the physiological consequences of acute hyperventilation.

Neuromuscular irritability with tetany, Chvostek and Trousseau signs

A memory aid for the signs of low calcium.

Twelve has its own private door

Mnemonic for the nerve passing through the hypoglossal canal.

Tongue points toward the injured side, like it's pointing out the problem

Mnemonic for the clinical sign of a hypoglossal nerve palsy.

Autonomic symptoms first, then neuroglycopenic

A memory aid for recognising and treating hypoglycaemia.

Check osmolality, then volume status, then urine sodium

A memory aid for the stepwise assessment of hyponatraemia.

GnRH, TRH, CRH and GHRH stimulate; dopamine and somatostatin inhibit

A memory aid for the hypothalamic hormones controlling the pituitary.

Opponens digiti minimi, Abductor digiti minimi, Flexor digiti minimi brevis

A mnemonic for the three hypothenar muscles of the little finger.

Graded by core temperature, rewarmed according to severity

A memory aid for grading and rewarming the hypothermic patient.

Pulmonary arterioles constrict in hypoxia, diverting blood to better ventilated alveoli

A memory aid for the pulmonary vascular response to alveolar hypoxia.

Peripheral chemoreceptors respond only below about 8 kPa

A memory aid for the ventilatory response to hypoxia.

IVC at T8, oesophagus at T10, aorta at T12

A mnemonic for the vertebral levels of the three major diaphragmatic apertures.

Iliohypogastric, Ilioinguinal, Genitofemoral, Lateral femoral cutaneous, Obturator, Femoral

A mnemonic for the branches of the lumbar plexus.

Internal Carotid Artery

Major artery to brain; arises from common carotid bifurcation

Intraclass Correlation Coefficient

Statistical measure of agreement or reliability between observers or repeated measurements

Immunohistochemistry

A laboratory technique using antibodies to detect antigens in tissue sections.

Intrahepatic Duct

Bile ducts within the liver

A one-way valve between ileum and caecum; a competent valve creates a closed loop

A memory aid for the ileocaecal valve and its role in bowel obstruction.

Sympathetic overactivity, inflammation and opioids inhibit coordinated motility

A memory aid for the mechanism of postoperative ileus.

Tensed by tensor fasciae latae and gluteus maximus, it stabilises the extended knee

A memory aid for the muscles that tense the iliotibial tract and its role.

Autoimmune inflammation of any organ, ending in -itis

A memory aid for the toxicity of checkpoint inhibitors.

Linear, granular or absent, each indicating a mechanism

A memory aid for the immunofluorescence patterns in renal and skin biopsy.

GAMED: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD

A mnemonic for the five antibody classes and their roles.

Antibodies against lineage-specific proteins identify a tumour's origin

A memory aid for the immunohistochemical markers identifying tissue lineage.

Steroids, calcineurin inhibitors, antimetabolites and biologics

A memory aid for the immunosuppressant classes used in transplantation and autoimmunity.

Incidentaloma, cascade and overdiagnosis

A memory aid for the harms of testing and how to manage an incidental finding.

GLP-1 and GIP are released by the gut and amplify insulin secretion

A memory aid for why oral glucose provokes more insulin than intravenous.

White infarcts in solid organs with a single supply; red infarcts in loose or dual-supplied tissue

A memory aid for red and white infarcts.

Vegetations on damaged valves, with embolic and immune complications

A memory aid for the organisms, valves and complications of endocarditis.

Supplies gluteus maximus; injury causes difficulty rising, climbing and standing from sitting

A memory aid for the inferior gluteal nerve and its function.

Left colic, sigmoid and superior rectal arteries

A memory aid for the branches of the inferior mesenteric artery.

Formed at L5 by the common iliac veins, receiving lumbar, gonadal, renal, adrenal, phrenic and hepatic veins

A memory aid for the tributaries of the inferior vena cava.

Aminosalicylates, steroids, immunomodulators and biologics

A memory aid for the drugs used in Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.

Transmural granulomatous inflammation versus mucosal crypt abscesses

A memory aid for the histological differences between Crohn and ulcerative colitis.

Crohn is transmural and patchy anywhere; colitis is mucosal and continuous from the rectum

A memory aid for the physiological differences between Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.

Some Say Thyroid Often

Mnemonic for the four infrahyoid strap muscles below the hyoid bone.

Lacunar and pectineal ligaments extend from the medial end of the inguinal ligament

A memory aid for the ligaments formed by the inguinal ligament.

Haemophilia bleeds into joints, von Willebrand from mucosa

A memory aid for haemophilia and von Willebrand disease.

Innate is immediate and non-specific; adaptive is slower, specific and has memory

A memory aid for the two arms of the immune system.

Promotes storage of glucose, fat and protein, and drives potassium into cells

A memory aid for the anabolic actions of insulin.

Insulin stores in the fed state, glucagon mobilises in the fasted

A memory aid for the opposing actions of insulin and glucagon.

Rapid, short, intermediate and long acting, matched to basal and prandial needs

A memory aid for the classes of insulin by duration of action.

A receptor tyrosine kinase acting through IRS and PI3K to recruit GLUT4

A memory aid for how insulin acts at the cellular level.

Posterior intercostals from the aorta; anterior intercostals from the internal thoracic and musculophrenic arteries

A memory aid for where the anterior and posterior intercostal arteries come from.

External intercostals run downwards and forwards, like hands in pockets

A memory aid for the fibre direction of the external and internal intercostal muscles.

Collateral, lateral cutaneous and anterior cutaneous branches, plus rami communicantes

A memory aid for the branches of a typical intercostal nerve.

Seven and eight ride together through the internal gate

Mnemonic for the nerves passing through the internal acoustic meatus.

Cats Prowl Caves Carefully

Mnemonic for the four main segments of the internal carotid artery.

Sigmoid sinus drops through the jugular foramen and becomes the vein

Mnemonic for the origin of the internal jugular vein.

Anterior intercostal, perforating and pericardiacophrenic branches, ending as superior epigastric and musculophrenic arteries

A memory aid for the branches and terminal division of the internal thoracic artery.

Liver, bone, placenta or gut, distinguished by GGT and clinical context

A memory aid for finding the source of a raised ALP.

CHARTS for the upper zones, STAIR for the lower

A mnemonic for the upper and lower zone causes of pulmonary fibrosis.

Upper zone and lower zone causes have distinct differentials

A memory aid for classifying interstitial lung disease by zone.

A large muscular part and a small membranous part

A memory aid for the two parts of the interventricular septum.

About 9 litres enters the gut daily and only 100 ml is lost in stool

A memory aid for the daily fluid load handled by the gut.

Lipid, protein, glycogen and pigments

A memory aid for the substances that accumulate within cells.

Extradural, subdural, subarachnoid and intracerebral, each with a characteristic vessel and shape

A memory aid for the patterns of intracranial bleeding.

One segment of bowel telescopes into the next, most often ileocolic

A memory aid for the anatomy of intussusception.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Progressive idiopathic lung fibrosis; computed tomography shows usual interstitial pneumonia pattern

Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm

Mucinous lesion in pancreatic duct; malignant potential varies

Interventional Radiology

Minimally invasive image-guided procedures (biopsy, ablation, embolisation, stenting)

Absorbed in the duodenum, controlled by hepcidin acting on ferroportin

A memory aid for the control of iron absorption.

Ferritin low in deficiency, normal or high in chronic disease

A memory aid for distinguishing iron deficiency from anaemia of chronic disease.

Oxygen returns to injured tissue and generates free radicals

A memory aid for why restoring blood flow can worsen tissue damage.

Perfusion falls, then metabolism, then diastolic and systolic function, then ECG changes, then pain

A memory aid for the sequence of events after coronary occlusion.

A wedge-shaped space between the anal canal and the ischium, containing fat and the pudendal canal

A memory aid for the fat-filled space beside the anal canal.

Different molecular forms of the same enzyme, characteristic of different tissues

A memory aid for the concept and clinical use of isoenzymes.

Inferior Vena Cava

Largest vein carrying deoxygenated blood from lower body to right atrium

Intervertebral Disc

Fibrocartilage disc between vertebral bodies

Intravenous Pyelogram

Contrast study of kidneys and urinary tract

Intravenous Urogram

Alternative term for intravenous pyelogram

Jaundice, Anaemia, Clubbing, Cyanosis, Oedema, Lymphadenopathy

A clinical examination mnemonic for key systemic signs.

Sclera, conjunctiva, tongue and fingers

A memory aid for where and how to look for the colour signs.

Five in, five out, the only reflex that's all trigeminal about

Mnemonic for the nerve involved in both limbs of the jaw jerk reflex.

Jejunum is thicker walled with long vasa recta and few arcades; ileum is thinner with short vasa recta and many arcades

A memory aid for distinguishing jejunum from ileum.

Avascular, aneural cartilage nourished by synovial fluid

A memory aid for the properties of articular cartilage and synovial fluid.

Look, feel, move, then special tests and function

A mnemonic for examining any individual joint.

Jugular Vein Attracts Girls

Mnemonic for the structures passing through the jugular foramen.

Nine, Ten, Eleven ride the jugular bus, sitting right next to the vein

Mnemonic for the three nerves riding through the jugular foramen with the internal jugular vein.

Macula densa, juxtaglomerular cells and extraglomerular mesangial cells

A memory aid for the components of the juxtaglomerular apparatus.

Macula densa, granular cells and extraglomerular mesangium

A memory aid for the microscopic components of the juxtaglomerular apparatus.

Jugular venous pressure

A clinical sign used to estimate right atrial pressure.

a, c and v waves with x and y descents

A memory aid for the waves and descents of the jugular venous pulse.

Cohen's Kappa

Measure of inter-rater agreement for categorical data; accounts for chance agreement

Keloid grows beyond the wound; hypertrophic stays within it

A memory aid for distinguishing keloid from hypertrophic scarring.

Made in the liver from acetyl-CoA, used by brain, heart and muscle

A memory aid for ketone production and use.

From T12 to L3, with the right kidney lying lower than the left

A memory aid for the vertebral levels of the kidneys.

Prepatellar bursitis is housemaid's knee; infrapatellar bursitis is clergyman's knee

A memory aid for the named bursae around the knee.

Look, feel, move, then ligament and meniscal tests

A memory aid for the sequence of a knee examination.

Flexion and extension, with rotation possible only when the knee is flexed

A memory aid for the movements of the knee and how it locks.

The medial meniscus is C-shaped and fixed; the lateral is more circular and mobile

A memory aid for the difference between the medial and lateral menisci.

Anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus

A memory aid for the three structures torn in the unhappy triad of the knee.

Phase 1 gives systolic pressure and phase 5 gives diastolic

A memory aid for the five phases of the Korotkoff sounds.

Acetyl-CoA is oxidised, generating NADH, FADH2 and GTP

A memory aid for the yield and role of the citric acid cycle.

Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder

Plain radiograph of the lower abdomen and pelvis

Lumbar vertebra 1

First lumbar vertebra

Lumbar vertebra 2

Second lumbar vertebra

Lumbar vertebra 5

Fifth and lowermost lumbar vertebra; largest lumbar body

Cervical dilatation, delivery of the fetus, then delivery of the placenta

A memory aid for the three stages of labour and their control.

Gland weeps above, punctum sips at the inner corner, sac drains down the duct, nose catches the run

Mnemonic for the direction tears flow through the lacrimal apparatus.

Type A from hypoperfusion, type B without it

A memory aid for interpreting a raised lactate.

Prolactin makes milk; oxytocin ejects it

A memory aid for the control of milk production and ejection.

Type A from hypoperfusion, type B without hypoxia

A memory aid for the two types of lactic acidosis.

Reynolds number over about 2000 predicts turbulence

A memory aid for the difference between laminar and turbulent flow.

Taeniae coli, haustra and appendices epiploicae

A mnemonic for the three features distinguishing large from small bowel.

Left Anterior, Right Posterior

A mnemonic for the position of the vagal trunks on the oesophagus.