Tuesday, January 28, 2014

HLA subtype associated diseases mnemonics

Hi everyone!
Here's a complete guide on how to remember the HLA associations. Let's catch em all!

Doctors (DR) will turn into MD's someday.. The thought makes you go, "Aah"
Starting with 2 and ending with 5, your mnemonic for DR associations is "MD.. AAH!"
HLA DR2 - Multiple sclerosis
HLA DR3  - Diabetes mellitus type 1
HLA DR4  - Arthritis (Rheumatoid, also the one associated with Lyme's disease)
HLA DR5  - Anemia (Pernicious, causing B12 deficiency)
HLA DR5  - Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Noradrenaline and adrenaline mnemonic

Epinephrine is so epic that it acts on alpha1, alpha2, beta1 & beta2 receptors.
Norepinephrine does not act on beta2. Not so epic. It acts on alpha1, alpha2 and beta1 receptors.

Which one is found in circulation and which one is released by nerve endings?
N for Nerves. Noradrenaline from nerve endings only.
Epinephrine is found in circulation.

*sings* I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Parvovirus B19 (Erythema infectiosum) mnemonics

Parvovirus is the only single stranded DNA virus.
Parvo is part of double strand, that is, single stranded virus!

Single stranded non enveloped DNA virus

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Hand of Benediction and clawing mnemonic

"MBF"
Median nerve injury causes Hand of Benediction hand when patient is asked to make a fist (or flex fingers).

"BE U"
Hand of Benediction hand when asked to extend fingers is caused by Ulnar nerve injury.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Defense mechanisms with images

I was learning defense mechanisms and I found really good illustrations, pictures and comics on them.
I thought of putting them all together in one place so everyone else can see and revise them faster! I also added some side notes here and there.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Medicowesome Flashcards 4 download

As you all know, I've been making flashcards as images so that I can put it in my cellphone or tab and revise them while I'm traveling ^_^

Here's the download link as promised:

Antipsychotics names and side effects mnemonic

Hey everyone!

High potency antipsychotics have extrapyramidal side effects.
Low potency antipsychotics have anticholinergic side effects.

I made this silly and lame rap to remember -

Saturday, January 11, 2014

How I remember duration of brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform & schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is diagnosed if the symptoms persist for 6 months or more.

Brief psychotic disorder is when the duration of symptoms is less than one month.

If the symptoms have persisted for at least one month and last less than 6 months of onset, the diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder is made.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Submissions: Mnemonic for arterial involvement in atherosclerosis

The aorta is most commonly involved by atherosclerosis; followed by coronaries, popliteal arteries, carotids and circle of Willis.
Mnemonic: Aortic crocodiles popping from car of Willis.

This is high yield information, I remember an multiple choice question being asked in my Pathology exam on this. They particularly asked which part of the aorta is most commonly involved in atherosclerosis. So don't forget that it's the abdominal aorta!

Here is a nice image to go with the mnemonic to help you remember:

How to make medical mnemonics

As medical students, we have a lot of information we need to memorize. Mnemonics makes things easier. If you make them yourself, you are more likely to remember them!
So we are going to learn how to make mnemonics! Yaay!

 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Baroreceptors mnemonic

I didn't have time to edit so I uploaded the video in it's very raw form.
Hope it helps though! =)




Saturday, January 4, 2014

Cell mnemonics

Layers of the epidermis mnemonic:
"Cornea is lucid, granules are spiny"
Silly association to remember the sequence: Cornea is the outermost layer of the eye, and the base is always the innermost layer.
Cornified layer (stratum corneum)
Clear/translucent layer (stratum lucidum, only in palms and soles)
Granular layer (stratum granulosum)
Spinous layer (stratum spinosum)
Basal/germinal layer (stratum basale/germinativum)

Sarcomere with various bands mnemonic:
Z is the end  of the alphabet and Z is the end of the sarcomere.
M is the middle of the alphabet and M is in the middle of the sarcomere.
Attached to the M line are your Mighty Myosin (Mighty = thick filaments)
"My tits" (Sorry for the vulgar language) is for remembering that myosin is attached by titin to the Z line.
Actin (acthin) is the thin filament attached to the Z line.

H is a thick letter so only thick filaments are found in the H band.
I is a thin letter so I band has only thin filaments!

Myosin doesn't like to change and is very bossy. So it not only took the middle M letter for the M line, but also took the A alphabet to represent itself (How mean, poor Actin! T_T)
PS: A band represents the thick filaments irrespective of the overlap, unlike H band.
So during contraction, A band doesn't change (The myosin only part)
The H and I band changes in width during contraction.

Cell junctions mnemonic:

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Mean systemic filling pressure

I never understood what it meant.

I found myself wondering.. What the heck is "The tightness with which the circulatory system is filled with blood." and what do you mean by "Pressure that exists in the vascular system if the cardiac output stops"?

Until one fine day I finally got it.

If you don't understand all those complicated (yet simple) terminologies and definitions.. You are just like me.. And I'm here to help you out =D
Here is how I understand it!

Imagine blood vessels are talking -
Mean systemic filling pressure simplified