Medical Mnemonics

This sampling of medical mnemonics comes courtesy of Vesalius, a specializing in the development of graphical communications for organizations in the medical and surgical communities.

Here are a few...and more can be found here.

Enterocutaneous fistula: FRIEND
F foreign body
R radiation
I inflammation/infection
E epithelialization
N neoplasm
D distal obstruction

Non-parathyroid hypercalcemia: CHIMPANZEES
C cancer (met. breast, lung, kidney, bone; leukemia, lymphoma)
H hyperparathyroidism
I iatrogenic (meds: thiazide, lithium, danazol), immobility
M multiple myeloma
P Paget’s
A alkali (milk)
N neoplasm, ectopic parathormone (small cell lung, hypernephroma)
Z Zollinger Ellison
E excess D, endocrine (hypo/hyperathyroid, Addisons)
E excess A
S sarcoid (Tb, histoplasmosis)
(benign familial hypocalcuric hypercalcemia)
(low albumin: get ionized Ca++)

Pancreatitis causes: I GET SMASHED
I idiopathic
G gallstones
E ethanol
T trauma (surgery)
S steroids
M mumps
A autoimmune
S scorpion bites
H hyperlipidemia/-calcemia, hypothermia
E ERCP
D drugs (azothioprine, thiazides)

Adrenal hormones: salt, sugar, sex
Glomerulosa: mineralocorticoids (salt)
Fasciculata: glucocotricoids (sugar)
Reticularis: androgens (sex)