Synonym: Goodsall-Salmon’s law In anal fistula, goodsall’s rule predicts the type of track and location of internal opening. An anterior external opening is more likely to have a straight track while a psoteriorly placed external opening is more likely to have a curved track. Mnemonic: Think of a dog with…
Tag: General Surgery
Surgical Skills 
Surgical blade size : Tricks to remember
Surgical blade anatomy Sharp edge: Belly Tip Unsharpened ridge opposite to the edge: Spine Slot for scalpel Surgical blade numbers Here is a trick to know the surgical blades by numbers – a simple image mnemonic which will require your imagination. We will only discuss blades commonly used in our…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
6 Ps and 3 As of Compartment Syndrome
Clinical features A. Adolescents and Adults Mnemonic: 6 Ps (by Hargens and Mubarak) Pain (may be absent in cases of nerve damage): Pain out of proportion to other physical findings (requiring increasing analgesic requirement) *: Earliest symptom Pain on passive stretch of the muscles in concerned compartment * Low sensitivity…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Hernia – The Basics
“No disease of the human body, belonging to the province of the surgeon, requires in its treatment a greater combination of accurate anatomic knowledge, with surgical skill, than hernia and all its varieties.” – Sir Astley Cooper ‘Hernia’, a word derived from Latin for ‘Rupture’, defined as the unusual protrusion…
Emergency Medicine 
LRINEC score for Necrotizing fascitis – Mnemonic
The LRINEC (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis) score is a tool to distinguish ordinary skin infections from necrotizing fasciitis. Mnemonic: NeC WASH Na level: <135 mmol/L: 2 points Creatinine: >1.6 mg/dl: 2 points WBC: <15,000/cu.mm: 0 points 15,000-25000/cu.mm: 1 point >25,000/cu.mm: 2 points Acute phase reactant (CRP): >/= 150:…
Clinical Skills and Approaches 
Finger test for Necrotizing Fascitis
Synonyms: Finger sweep test Finger test can be performed under Local anesthesia or General anesthesia in: Emergency department Bedside in wards Operation theaters Procedure: Area is infiltrated with local anesthetic A 2 cm test incision down to fascia is made in the suspected area The tissues are visually examined for:…
PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS 
Appendix, Appendicitis and Appendicectomy
Inflammation of the Appendix is one of the most common causes of Pain Abdomen presenting in the Emergency Room. Since its first description in the texts, there has been a lot of improvement in the quality of management due to the availability of resources and technology. Appendix, in the initial…
Clinical Skills and Approaches 
Costovertebral or Renal angle tenderness
Synonyms: Murphy’s kidney punch, CVA tenderness (CVAT) Anatomy of Costovertebral angle or Renal angle: Costovertebral angle is formed by the junction of the 12th, or lowermost, rib with the paravertebral muscles, which run parallel to and on both sides of the vertebral column. Eliciting costovertebral angle tenderness: Position of patient:…