I recently graduated in medicine from Townsville, Australia, and I still enjoy writing blogs on medicine and pharmacy-related topics. I appreciate writing about my experience on different placements or topics I'm interested in. As English is my second language, writing blogs is a hobby and a fun challenge!
All tagged Mnemonic
Whilst being on the surgical ward, I was astounded at the number of patients who presented with pancreatitis. An easy way to remember the causes of pancreatitis is by using the mnemonic I GET SMASHED. Statistically, you should find the cause of the pancreatitis and help you manage your patient.
The STOP-BANG questionnaire is a tool that screens for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, not for central sleep apnea) and is one of the most recognized screening tools for OSA. It is a screening tool, thus not diagnostic, and depending on the outcome, advise the assessor on the next step.
In medicine, patients often present with signs and symptoms that resemble and overlaps with other conditions. Therefore, having the principal diagnosis (or your best suspicion) may not fit the picture perfectly; hence it is essential to think of other conditions that mimic the presentation. The differential diagnosis thus comes into play.
