What would we do without mneumonics. I know that they helped me through school, boards and a lot of other challenges.
The first one that I can remember was the old "Can Tom Catch Laurie Myers In Navy?" Anyone remember that one?
It is the mneumonic for the ossification order of the rear and midfoot bones of the foot. Ring a bell now? Of course it made no real sense at all but it was enough to jog bell in our memorie. Calcaneus, talus, cuboid, lateral cuneiform, medial cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform and navicular.
Then there was the "To Zanzibar By Motor Car" to help us remember the five major tributaries of the facial nerve from top to bottom: temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical.
I recently posted a new one that I am finding helpful as well, one related to antibiotics -- the ESKAPE mnemonic. It is easy to remember and wil be valuable for all of us. The challenge today is to not be too quick to use antibiotics. Although it might seem like "What could just one more antibiotic do?", it could actually do a lot. Anyway, perhaps you might find it useful yourself. This comes from Medscape, written by Laura A. Stokowski, RN MS in “Emerging Antibiotics: Will We Have What We Need?”
Another quick and easy mneumonic. What are yours?
Table. The ESKAPE Pathogens
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E
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Enterococcus faecium
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Third most common cause of HCA BSI. Increasing resistance to vancomycin.
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S
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Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
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Emerging resistance to current drugs and significant drug toxicities. Lack of oral agents for step-down therapy
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K
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Klebsiella
Escherichia coli
K pneumoniae
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ESBL-producing organisms increasing in frequency and severity; associated with increasing mortality. K pneumoniae carbapenemases causing severe infections in LTCF. Few active agents; nothing in development
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A
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Acinetobacter baumannii
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Increasing worldwide, recent surge reported in hospitals.[5] Very high mortality. Carbapenem-resistant.
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P
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Increasing P. aeruginosa infections in US and worldwide. Resistant to carbapenems, quinolones, aminoglycosides
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E
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Enterobacter species
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MDR HCA infections increasing; resistance via ESBLs, carbapenemases, and cephalosporinases
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HCA = healthcare associated; BSI = bloodstream infection; MRSA = methicillin resistant S aureus; ESBL = extended-spectrum beta-lactamase; LTCF = long-term care facility; MDR = multiple drug-resistant
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