Critical Care Mnemonics

Pre-Intubation Steps

RSI
⚡ Rapid
📜 Sequence
🔛 Intubation

Tip: Safe intubation prep mnemonic

Hypoxia Differential

HAVEN

😮 Hypoventilation
🚫 Airway Obstruction
💨 V/Q mismatch
🧪 Equipment failure
🧠 Neuromuscular cause

Tip: Diagnose cause of hypoxia in ICU

Shock Classification

SHOCKED

🦠 Septic
🩸 Hypovolemic
🚫 Obstructive
❤️ Cardiogenic
🧠 Evaluate cause

Tip: Mnemonic for types of shock

Airway Evaluation

LEMON

L = Look externally
E = Evaluate 3-3-2 rule
M = Mallampati score
O = Obstruction
N = Neck mobility

Tip: Predicting difficult intubations

Status Asthmaticus Management

ASTHMA

A = Adrenergics
S = Steroids
T = Theophylline
H = Hydration
M = Magnesium
A = Anticholinergics

Tip: Critical asthma treatment steps

Cardiac Arrest – PEA Causes

PEA

P = Pump failure
E = Electrolytes
A = Acidosis

Tip: PEA troubleshooting mnemonic

Sedation Agent Effects

FENTANYL

F = Fast onset
E = Euphoria
N = Narcotic
T = Titrate slowly
A = Analgesia
N = Nausea
Y = Yawning
L = Lethargy

Tip: Key points for fentanyl usage

Hypertensive Emergency Signs

HEADACHE

H = Headache
E = Encephalopathy
A = Aortic dissection
D = Drugs
A = Acute renal failure
C = CHF
E = Emergency

Tip: Signs of hypertensive emergency

DKA Recognition

DKA

D = Dehydration
K = Ketones
A = Acidosis

Tip: Identifying diabetic ketoacidosis

Initial Assessment

ABCDE
🅰️ Airway
🅱️ Breathing
🌡 Circulation
🧠 Disability
🧥 Exposure

Tip: Initial trauma and ICU rapid assessment

Ventilator Settings Troubleshooting

MV DOPES

M = Mode
V = Volume
D = Dislodged tube
O = Obstruction
P = Pneumothorax
E = Equipment
S = Settings

Tip: Quick ventilator troubleshooting tool

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

S = Signs and Symptoms
A = Allergies
M = Medications
P = Past medical history
L = Last meal
E = Events leading up to the illness/injury

Tip: Key elements of a patient's history

Fever Causes in ICU

INFECTED

I = Invasive lines
N = Nosocomial
F = Foley
E = ETT
C = Central line
T = Tracheostomy
E = External source
D = Drugs

Tip: Differential for ICU fever

Ventilator Troubleshooting

DOPE

🔧 Dislodged tube
🚫 Obstruction
💨 Pneumothorax
⚙️ Equipment failure

Tip: Use for sudden ventilator distress

ICU Checklist

FAST HUGS BID

F = Feeding
A = Analgesia
S = Sedation
T = Thromboprophylaxis
H = Head up
U = Ulcer prophylaxis
G = Glucose control
S = Stool
BID = Bowel, Indwelling lines, De-escalation

Tip: Daily ICU management mnemonic

Emergency History Taking

SAMPLE

🩺 Signs/Symptoms
💊 Allergies
📋 Medications
📜 Past History
🍽️ Last Meal
🎬 Events

Tip: Used in trauma & ER handovers

Consciousness Levels

AVPU

A = Alert
V = Verbal response
P = Pain response
U = Unresponsive

Tip: Quick neuro exam in critical care

Stroke Recognition

FAST
😊 Face droop
💪 Arm weakness
🗣️ Speech difficulty
⏰ Time to call

Tip: Quick stroke recognition tool

ICU Sedation Checklist

PAILS
😖 Pain
😡 Agitation
💤 Intubation
💊 Sedation
🌪️ Delirium

Tip: Daily checklist in ICU rounds

CPR Reversible Causes

4 Hs & 4 Ts

💧 Hypovolemia
❌ Hypoxia
💣 Hydrogen ions (acidosis)
⚡ Hyper/hypokalemia
💉 Toxins
🫀 Tamponade
📉 Tension pneumothorax
🧱 Thrombosis

Tip: Reversible causes during cardiac arrest

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