Surgery Mnemonics

Retaining and recalling information is a challenging task in general, and when it comes to medical studies, and more particularly disciplines such as surgery and psychiatry, it only gets hectic. According to recent studies, Mnemonics is one of the best ways to help students overcome learning-related challenges and enhance memory. The Mnemonics strategy uses visual and auditory hints to help students establish a connection between the knowledge they currently have and the new information they are trying to gather. In this article, we will specifically discuss the nuances of Surgery Mnemonics. 

How Can You Make Mnemonics?

You can use acronyms to remember the symptoms of a disorder or steps to heal an illness. Use the primary letter of every phrase or word to create a phrase you can easily recall.

How Do Mnemonics Help You With Good Memory?

Many students and professionals use mnemonic strategies to improve their memory. These strategies can assist them with ways to spell tricky words, including the toughest of surgical words.

Some Basic Medical Mnemonics

• ABC — airway, breathing, and circulation
• APGAR — a backronym for appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration (used to assess newborn babies) 
• ASHICE — age, sex, history, injuries/illness, condition, ETA/extra information
• FAST — face, arms, speech, time (stroke symptoms)
• Hs and Ts — causes of cardiac arrest
• OPQRST — onset, provocation, quality, region, severity, time (symptom checklist often used by first responders)

Some Basic Surgery Mnemonics 

1. Lump examination: 3S’s, 3C’s, 3T’s, 1F

• Site
• Size
• Shape
• Contour
• Colour
• Consistency
• Tenderness
• Tethering
• Transillumination
• Fluctuance

Lump diagnosis is performed with the help of imaging methods such as ultrasounds, CT scans, MRI, and mammograms. Physicians usually diagnose the presence of cysts and/or similar issues and their severity with these diagnostic images. Mnemonics presented above helps medical students complete the diagnosis and recommend the next step.

2. Cholecystitis: The 5 Fs

• Fat
• Fertile
• Female
• Forty
• Fair 

This particular mnemonic has been used for a long time. It is a reminder to students that patients with upper abdominal pain and the five features listed above are more likely to have Cholecystitis. It is also important to note that family history is an overlooked yet equally critical aspect that can enhance the efficiency of the decision.

3. Abdominal Causes of Clubbing (4 C’s)

• Coeliac disease
• Cirrhosis
• Crohn’s
• Ulcerative Colitis

This mnemonic strategy helps students understand what could possibly be the primary diagnosis in the abdomen region due to clubbing.

4. 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)

Acute pancreatitis is characterized by inflammation issues that manifest at any time and stay for a few days. While alcohol intake and gallstones might be the two primary causes of pancreatitis, other major causes could be those described in the mnemonics above.

5. Meckel’s Diverticulum (Rule of 2’s)

• 2% of the population
• 2x commoner in males
• 2 feet proximal to the ileocaecal valve
• 2 inches in length
• 2 types of common ectopic tissue (gastric and pancreatic)

As discussed earlier, mnemonics do not apply only to the symptoms and diagnosis but can also include details about demographics, proximity, and gender. The mnemonics listed here are a good example of this. Meckel’s Diverticulum is caused by obliteration of the omphalomesenteric duct during embryo development. While it is a common anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, learning about the prevalence and possibilities would help determine the presence of Meckel’s Diverticulum.

Examples of Long Mnemonics 

Reasons for Pain in Left Iliac Fossa: SUPER CLOT

• Sigmoid diverticulitis
• Ureteric colic
• Ectopic pregnancy
• PID
• Rectus sheath hematoma
• Colorectal carcinoma
• Left-sided lower lobe pneumonia
• An ovarian cyst (rupture, torture)
• Threatened abortion / Testicular torsion

Causes of Hypokalemia: BAD LOAD

• Barters/ Conn’s syndrome (Hyperaldosteronism)
• Alkalosis
• Diuretics
• Laxative abuse
• Other causes: Insulin overdose, Acute glucose load, Diarrhea

Causes of Abdominal Distension: 6 Fs

• Fat
• Fluid
• Flatus
• Feces
• Fetus
• Fulminant mass

Phases

•  Prosthetic 
•  Heart failure
•  Abscess 
•  Sepsis, Uncontrolled 
•  Embolization 
•  Size of vegetation

We hope this article gives you an idea of how you can leverage mnemonics. You may find it difficult to start, and that’s why we are here to help. With eGurukul’s application, you can easily prepare for any difficult subject for the toughest entrance exams. With experts available to help you, we believe you will score better if you just use the right strategies and receive appropriate guidance. The application offers certain important features such as question banks, multiple-choice questions, video lectures, and test series to review the chapters or topics you have studied. Apart from using it just for revision, you can also start preparing for medical entrance exams. In addition, top faculties can offer assistance and guidance through the community engagement forum. Students can expect their doubts to be solved promptly as teachers are usually available 24/7. It is important to receive the right guidance when you study medicine. We believe eGurukul can be the ultimate solution for aspirants preparing to take challenging entrance exams.

Conclusion

Why eGurukul?

Using mnemonic devices is an old practice, and it is said that the idea was initiated in Ancient Greece. Still, people find it useful even now, as it is an elementary way of memorizing details. Mnemonics are usually paintings on phrase associations or are constructed on acronyms. However, there may well be different types, including poems and rhymes. Many traditional mnemonic gadgets exist. However, college students should not shy away from developing their own to aid their memory. Memorizing an existing listing is helpful. But creating one on your own is better. With mnemonics and guidance from the best faculties, it will be easy to succeed in exams.