Medical Mnemonics

Some handy general surgery mnemonics

Hamad Tareen

July 6, 2018

Page Contents

This article contains some handy general surgery mnemonics every medical student should know of.

Lump examination (3S’s, 3C’s, 3T’s, 1F)

Site
Size
Shape
Contour
Colour
Consistency
Tenderness
Tethering
Transillumination
Fluctuance

Alvarado’s scoring system for diagnosing appendicitis

MANTRELS

Migratory pain (1)
Anorexia (1)
Nausea (1)
Tenderness (2) – in the right iliac fossa
Rebound tenderness (1)
Elevated temperature (1)
Leucocytosis (2)
Shift to left (1)

A score of 1 to 4 points has a 30% probability of being appendicitis. No imaging is suggested (note: if score is 4 points and there is clinical suspicion, imaging is suggested). The patient may be discharged.A score of 5 to 6 points has a 66% probability of being appendicitis. A CT of the abdomen is suggested. The patient should be observed +/- admitted.A score of 7 to 10 points has a 93% probability of being appendicitis. Consult a surgeon.

The 5 F’s of cholecystitis

Fat
Female
Fair
Fertile
Forty

Abdominal causes of clubbing (4 C’s)
- Coeliac disease
- Cirrhosis
- Crohn’s
- ulcerative Colitis

Causes of abdominal distension (6 F’s)
- Fat
- Fluid
- Flatus
- Faeces
- Foetus
- Fulminant mass

Causes of Pancreatitis (GET SMASHED)
- Gallstones
- Ethanol
- Trauma
- Steroids
- Mumps
- Autoimmune diseases e.g. SLE
- Scorpion venom
- Hypothermia, Hypercalcaemia, Hyperlipidaemia
- ERCP, Emboli
- Drugs (e.g. thiazide and loop diuretics, azathioprine)

Components of Glasgow score for pancreatitis (PANCREAS)
- PaO2 (<8kPa)
- Age (>55)
- Neutrophilia (WCC > 15 x 109/L)
- Ca2+ (<2mmol/L)
- Renal function (urea >16mmol/L)
- Enzymes (LDH >600 iu/L or AST >200 iu/L)
- Albumin (<32g/L)
- Sugar (blood glucose >10mmol/L)

Meckel’s diverticulum (Rule of 2’s)
- 2% of the population
- 2x commoner in males
- 2 feet proximal to ileocaecal valve
- 2 inches in length
- 2 types of common ectopic tissue (gastric and pancreatic)

The Five W’s of post-operative fever:

Wind Post Op Day 1-2 the lungs: atelectasis/aspiration
Water Post Op Day 3-5 urinary tract infection, related to an indwelling catheter (during surgery)
Walking Post Op Day 4-6 deep vein thrombosis
Wound Post Op Day 5-7 surgical site infection, which in obstetrics or gynaecology, may refer to the uterus.
Wonder drugs Post Op Day 7+ drug fever – infections related to I.V lines or blood product reactions.