FAILURE: These are the quick recall potential etiologies of congestive heart failure exacerbations. If you can sit with the discomfort of the silence until you’re able to answer the questions, you will know that you can easily and quickly recall this knowledge comfortably in the moment you need it. Then, ask yourself: do I need to check a thyroid function? Is this patient non-compliant with medications and do I need to ask the patient if they recently took their meds? What’s the baseline hemoglobin? Is there weight gain from last visit and how much? Is this patient recently ill? Is there pleuritic chest pain, low oxygen saturation? Do I need to consider the pulmonary embolism risk factors mnemonic THROMBOSIS?

AEIOU TIPS: Altered Mental Status broad differential. Sit with the discomfort of this episode to master 17 broad differentials for AMS.

Syncope: Cardiac, hypovolemic, Neuro

Most important to establish from the history is “was there a prodrome?”

Tachy Epsilon: Cardiac Syncope EKG findings.

Tacky, epsilon, prolongs delta with 2 to 3 daggers in saddle.

If there is a syncopal episode, please don’t be the provider who merely states NO STEMI… The standard of care is to evaluate the EKG for more than just myocardial infarction as the cause of a syncopal episode. Go above and beyond the standard of care to at least consider the 7 cardiac EKG findings for syncope.

I’ve Fallen: Falls (possible causes)

10 S’ Focal-neurologic Deficits Differential. Easy hand mnemonic for quick recall.

THROMBOSIS: Risk Factors for Pulmonary Embolism