This document provides several mnemonics to aid in remembering cardiology concepts. It lists mnemonics for syncope causes (VASOVAGALS and THIS-MADE-ME-DAMN-VAGAL), arrhythmia causes (ACID-ME), atrial fibrillation causes (I-HAVE-A-FIB), congestive heart failure causes (ISCHEMIA-PA-CATHS and EDEMA-TOES), hypotension causes (BP-DECLINED), pericarditis causes (PR-DIP-ST-UP and IT-CAUSED-PERICARDITIS), and restrictive cardiac disease causes (A-STIFFER-CHF).

1. Cardiology Mnemonics
Dpt. Aamir Memon
11/28/2013

2. Cardiology Mnemonics
SYNCOPE
ACLS
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Anxiety
Cardiovascular causes
Los s of volume/orthostasis
Seizure/neurologic causes
→A more comprehensive and mechanistic approach to the problem of syncope is summarized by the following
mnemonic:
VASOVAGALS
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Volume loss
Anxiety attack
Seizure/CVA
Obstruction of venous return (micturition , Valsalva , cough , myxoma)
Vasodepressor/Vasoconstrictor defect
Arrhythmia
Glucose drop
Aortic dissection
Low cardiac output
Shy-Drager/Sympathetic dysfunction
→ A comprehensive list of the individual entities causing syncope is summarized by the mnemonic:
THIS-MADE-ME-DAMN-VAGAL
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Tamponade
Hypertensive crisis
Intra cranial hemorrhage/CVA
Seizure
Myocardial infarction
Aortic dissection
Drugs
Emotion/anxiety attack
Micturition/tussive
Embolus (P E)
Dysrhythmia
Addison's
Migraine (basilar)
Neurocardiogenic
Volume loss
Aortic stenosis/obstruction
Glucose drop
Autonomic dysfunction
Low cardiac output (CH F)
ARRHYTHMIA
ACID-ME
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Adrenergic stimuli
Conduction system disease
Ischemia
Drugs
Mechanical stimuli (e. g. stretch, PA catheter)
Electrolytes
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
I-H AVE-A-FIB
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Ischemia
Hyperthyroidism
Acute pericarditis
Valvular heart disease (especially mitral stenosis)
Embolus (PE)
Atrial septal defect

3.  Failure (CH F)
 Infection
 Booze
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
ISCHEMIA- PA-CATHS
 Low output
 Ischemia
 Sub acute bacterial endocarditis
 Cardiomyopathy
 Hypertension
 Effusion/tamponade
 Mitral valve disease
 Infectious myocarditis
 Aortic valve disease
 High output
 Paget/myeloma
 A -V fistula
 Cardiac shunt
 Anemia
 Thiamine deficiency (beri-beri)
 Hyperthyroidism
 Sepsis
→ The following mnemonic summarizes the important considerations in decompensated CHF. All of these entities
should be considered when determining the cause of CHF exacerbation.
EDEMA-TOES
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Embolus
Dysrhythmia
Eclampsia/pregnancy
Myocardial infarction
Anemia
Thyroid disease
Over exertion/excessive fluid or salt
Elevated blood pressure
Sepsis/infection
HYPOTENSION
BP-DECLINED
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Blood loss
Poor O2 intake
Diarrhea/D ehydration
E ndocrine (e.g. Ad dison's)
Cardiac disease
Liver failure
Infection/sepsis
Neuropathy (autonomic)
Em bolus (pulmonary)
Drugs
PERICARDITIS
PR-DIP-ST-UP
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Post -pericardiotomy
Rheumatic fever
Drugs
Infection (TB, viral , pyogenic)
Pulmonary embolus
SLE
Thyroid disease
Uremia
Post-M I (acute, Dressler)

4. → Here is a mnemonic for the differential diagnosis of pericarditis:
IT-CAUSED-PERICARDITIS
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Infection (viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, parasitic)
Tumor (primary, metastatic)
Collagen-vascular diseases (e.g. SLE, RA, scleroderma)
Acute M I
Uremia
Sarcoidosis
Embolus
Dressler's
Post-pericardiotomy
External trauma
Rheumatic fever
Inherited (familial, FMF)
Cholesterol/Chylopericardium
Atrial-septal defect
Ruptured aortic aneurysm
Drugs (procainamide, hydralazine, and others)
Idiopathic
Thyroid disease (myxedema)
Irradiation
Severe, chronic anemia
RESTRICTIVE CARDIAC DISEASE
A-STIFFER-CHF
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Amyloid
Sarcoidosis
Tumor infiltration
Idiopathic
Fibrosis (endomyocardial )
Fabry's
Eosi nophilic
Radiation
Constrictive pericarditis
Hypertension/H ypertrophy
Fe overload (hemochromotosis)