Medical Mnemonics

[Angel]

Mnemonics are memory improvement: the practice of improving or helping the memory, or the systems used to achieve this. Mnenomics are memory aid: a short rhyme, phrase, or other mental technique for making information easier to memorize.

If you want to improve your medical study visit xenoMED's links for

Medical Mnemonics

[amoa65]

Originally Posted by Angel

Mnemonics are memory improvement: the practice of improving or helping the memory, or the systems used to achieve this. Mnenomics are memory aid: a short rhyme, phrase, or other mental technique for making information easier to memorize.

If you want to improve your medical study visit xenoMED's links for

Medical Mnemonics

THere are many techniques in mnemonics.One of them is mono-letter mnemonics.You may read about them in Al Aboud D, Al Aboud K, Ramesh V. Mono-letter mnemonics in dermatology.Int J Dermatol. 2006 Dec;45(12):1444.

[Pal]

Mnemonics in dermatology; an appraisal
Khalid Al Aboud, MD, Khalid Al Hawsawi, MD, V. Ramesh, MD, and Daifullah Al Aboud, MD
From the Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, King Faisal Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence Dr Khalid Al Aboud, MD Department of Medicine P.O. Box 5440 Makkah Saudi Arabia E-mail: amoa65@hotmail.com

Khalid Al Aboud MD, Khalid Al Hawsawi MD, V Ramesh MD, Daifullah Al Aboud MD (2002)
Mnemonics in dermatology; an appraisal
International Journal of Dermatology 41 (9), 594–595.
doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.2002.01615.x

A mnemonic is a device or code that helps one to memorize something. It is derived from the Greek term mnemon meaning "mindful"1. In other words, a mnemonic helps one to keep something in mind. The sources available to help students to remember factual knowledge are lecture notes, multiple choice questions (MCQs), group discussions and text books. With new data constantly being added to existing knowledge, it becomes increasingly difficult for students to remember vital information. This is a particular problem for students who have to face many examinations and so have to retrieve the information in a limited time. It is not uncommon for candidates to devise their own methods of remembering these facts by constructing a word, song, picture or incident. This is exactly what a mnemonic is intended to do.

Mnemonics have now been recognized as an important teaching aid for storing factual knowledge. The current explosion in knowledge is paralleled by an increase in mnemonics as a means of recalling essential information. This is demonstrated by two Internet sites on which further information can be found. One provides dermatological mnemonics in addition to mnemonics for other medical specialities and can be found at www.md4sure.com. The other is devoted to dermatology and is called the DERM project (Dermatology Education by Recall of Mnemonics). It was developed by the Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, and the North-eastern Ohio University College of Medicine, Rootstown2 and can be found at http://dermed.cwru.edu/mn/default.htm.

Before memorizing something using a mnemonic, it is important to understand the subject. A mnemonic can never be a substitute for understanding the facts in a particular area. It can only help to fix in the mind the important information related to that subject. The first goal is therefore to comprehend the subject. The mnemonic should then be used to recall the information and must be reinforced whenever the matter is revised or in a relevant situation. A mnemonic is of great help in recalling the features of certain conditions, for example in systemic lupus erythematosus the mnemonic ANTINUCLEAR (A for antinuclear antibody, N for neurologic disorders such as seizures or psychosis, T for thrombocytopenia or lymphopenia or leucopenia or hemolytic anemia, I for immunologic features like positive LE cell reparation or antid DNA or antism antibodies or a positive test for syphilis, N for nasopharyngeal or oral ulcers, U for urinary abnormalities like proteinuria or casts, C for cutaneous discoid rash, L for light sensitivity, E for effusions – pleural or pericardial, A for arthritis of two or more joints and R for a rash in the malar area) enables students to recall the modified criteria confidently and quickly when examining a patient.

We must be aware of some limitations when employing mnemonics. Firstly, it is wise to enumerate possible diagnosis by starting with the commonest and ending with the rarest. For example, in the mnemonic BIT CAFÉ for café au lait spots, the commonest condition seen by clinicians is placed last [B for blooms, I for idiopathic, T for tuberous sclerosis. C for congenita (dyskeratosis), A for ataxia telangiectasia, F for Fanconi's and E for elephant man (neurofibromatosis)]. In other examples, well-known causes are listed much later than failure to detect any cause; for example, the possible causes of erythema nodosm are recalled by the mnemonic NODOSUM (NO cause in 60%, D for drugs, O for oral contraceptives, S for sarcoidosis, U for ulcerative colitis and M for microbiology: bacterial, viral, yersinia, tuberculosis, leprosy, deep fungal). Secondly, the same mnemonic may be used in more than one disorder, for example seven Ps in telogen effluvium (pregnancy, protein depletion, pills, propranolol, pyrexia, parturition and psycic stress) and lichen planus (purple, polygonal, planar or flat, papules, pruritic, persistent and penile). Thirdly, it is difficult to remember mnemonics in which the letter is not the starting one of the word, for example Cockayne's syndrome (C for CNS defects, O for lipOdystrophy, C for color which is hyperpigmentation, A for auditory symptom of deafness, Y for microencephalY, N for normal pressure hydrocephalus, E for eye lesion of salt and pepper retina and S for short).

Mnemonics have been established as a useful tool in teaching a subject. It is the duty of the teacher to ensure the factual correctness of the mnemonic and its full applicability2. Students have also taken a liking to mnemonics and have found the mnemonic method less stressful than conventional methods3. In specific situations, a mnemonic has also improved efficacy as compared to information obtained by routine queries4. Newer data are also added to keep the mnemonics up to date5,6.


References

1. Pugh MB, (eds). Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 27th edn. Philadelphia: Williams and Wilkins 2001, p. 1122.
2. Brodell RT. Mnemonics in dermatology. [Abstract II in Advancing the Science and Art of Teaching Dermatology.] Arch Dermatol 1998; 134: 857–860.
3. Beitz JM. Unleashing the power of memory. The mighty mnemonic. Nurse Educ 1997; 22: 25–29.
4. Hocking G, Kalyanaraman R, deMello WF. Better drug history taking. An assessment of the DRUGS mnemonic. J R Soc Med 1998; 91: 305–306. Medline, ISI
5. Hazen BP, Bhatia AC, Zaim T, Brodell RT. Clinical diagnosis of early malignant melanoma: expansion of the ABCD criteria to improve diagnostic sensitivity. Dermatol Online J 1999; 5: 3. Medline
6. Losek JD. Hypoglycemia and the ABCs (sugar) of pediatric resuscitation. Ann Emerg Med 2000; 26: 278–279.

[Pal]

Mono-letter mnemonics in dermatology

Daifullah Al Aboud MD, Khalid Al Aboud MD, V. Ramesh MD (2006)
Mono-letter mnemonics in dermatology
International Journal of Dermatology 45 (12), 1444–1444.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2006.03139.x

A mnemonic is a device or code that helps an individual to memorize key information about something. Many people are using mnemonics in teaching as they have been proven to be a successful learning aid. 1 Recently, we have reviewed the use of mnemonics in dermatologic disorders. 2
Many websites and books compile lists of mnemonics; thus, there may be more than one mnemonic for a given disorder. It is left to the individual to select one that he or she prefers.

It is not uncommon for individuals to devise their own methods of remembering facts by constructing a word, song, picture, or incident. 2 Self-made mnemonics are often particularly effective, as the time and creative energy devoted to their development result in increased recall. 1

We wish to point out in this brief communication that using a word or phrase for mnemonics may at times become outdated, similar to a new edition of a book which replaces a previous one. Mnemonics, too, must accommodate new information so that students can reap the maximum benefit from this useful learning aid. Problems can arise when new information is added, because the addition of a letter to the existing word or phrase will ultimately change the composition of a mnemonic that has been in vogue for some time. For instance, the five painful tumors of the skin have been grouped nicely into the word "Bengal" (blue rubber bleb nevus, eccrine spiradenoma, neurilemmoma/neuroma, glomus tumor, angiolipoma/angioleiomyoma/angiosarcoma, and leiomyoma), or the phrase "blend an egg", but now, with the potential addition of cutaneous endometriosis/calcinosis cutis and osteoma cutis, its use may be rendered obsolete. The new mnemonic for painful cutaneous nodules is BENGAL CO, 1 where "CO" refers to the first letter of the last two tumors mentioned. In addition, a word or phrase that may be of interest to individuals in some countries, and easily recalled by them, might not be of interest elsewhere or may be difficult for persons in other places to recall.

We wish to highlight that one good technique that can be used in framing mnemonics is a mono-letter. With this technique, it is possible to avoid the unnecessary inclusion of letters that change the meaning of the word, it can be used globally and internationally, and it is easily remembered because of its acceptability. This has been welcomed by other specialties. 3

The letters may be employed in independent words or in words contained in a large statement. An example of the latter is the memorable description of Dowling–Degos disease by Wilson-Jones and Grice: 4 demonstrating dusky dappled disfigurements and dark dot depressions, and disclosing digitate downgrowths delving dermally.

Here, we list some of the "mono-letter" mnemonics that can be used as an aid in teaching dermatology: "a" in Addison's disease [asthenia, areola pigmentation, arterial hypotension, alimentary abnormality (anorexia, symptoms of acute abdomen), anxiety, axillary and pubic hair thinning]; "d" and "m" in pellagra [dementia, diarrhea, dermatitis, death, meats (mostly fats), molasses, meal (corn)]; "l" in a dermatopathology pattern with superficial and deep perivascular infiltrates with lymphocytes predominant [light eruption (polymorphus), lupus erythematosus, lymphocytic infiltrate of Jessner + deep figurate/gyrate erythema, Lyme disease, lues (syphilis) (+ plasma cells), lymphoma, leukemia, leprosy, indeterminate type (+ histiocytes)]; "p" in telogen effluvium (pregnancy, protein depletion, pills, propranolol, pyrexia, parturition, psychic stress); "p" in lichen planus (purple, polygonal, planar or flat, papules, pruritic, persistent, penile); "s" in superficial chronic glossitis [smoking, spirit (alcohol), spices, syphilis, sharp objects (trauma), sepsis (chronic debilitating diseases)].


Daifullah Al Aboud, MD
Khalid Al Aboud, MD
V. Ramesh, MD
References

1. Bouganim N, Barankin B, Freiman A. Mnemonics in dermatology. Int J Dermatol 2006; 45: 81–82. Synergy, Medline, ISI
2. Al Aboud K, Al Hawsawi K, Ramesh V, et al. Mnemonics in dermatology; an appraisal. Int J Dermatol 2002; 41: 594–595. Synergy, Medline, ISI
3. Evan RG. The four S's of Ewing's sarcoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1991; 21: 1671–1673. Medline
4. Wilson-Jones E, Grice K. Reticulate pigmented anomaly of flexures (Dowling–Degos): a new genodermatosis? Br J Dermatol 1974; 91 (Suppl. 36): 6. Synergy