List of Cardiovascular Mnemonics

If you're a nurse practitioner, medical student, or anyone working in healthcare, these mnemonics are some of the most commonly used in cardiology to help you remember key points.

Causes of Atrial Fibrillation: PIRATES

A useful mnemonic for the causes of Atrial Fibrillation is "PIRATES":

• P – Pulmonary (PE, COPD)
• I – Ischemic heart disease
• R – Rheumatic heart disease (Mitral stenosis)
• A – Anemia / Alcohol ("Holiday Heart")
• T – Thyrotoxicosis (Hyperthyroidism)
• E – Electrolyte imbalances / Endocarditis
• S – Sepsis / Sick sinus syndrome

Management of Atrial Fibrillation: ABCDE

The management of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) can be remembered with the mnemonic "ABCDE":

A – Anticoagulants (Prevent stroke)

• Warfarin (if mechanical valve or high risk)
• DOACs (Apixaban, Rivaroxaban, Dabigatran)

B – Beta-blockers (Rate control)

• Metoprolol, Bisoprolol, Atenolol

C – Calcium Channel Blockers (Rate control alternative)

• Diltiazem, Verapamil (Non-DHP CCBs)

D – Digoxin (For rate control in heart failure patients)

• Used when β-blockers/CCBs are not tolerated

E – Electrophysiology & Antiarrhythmic Drugs (Rhythm control)

• Amiodarone, Flecainide, Sotalol, Dronedarone
• Consider cardioversion and ablation for refractory cases

Complications of Myocardial Infarction: DARTH VADER

A great mnemonic for complications of Myocardial Infarction (MI) is “DARTH VADER”:

• D – Death
• A – Arrhythmia
• R – Rupture (ventricular free wall, septum, papillary muscle)
• T – Tamponade (due to rupture)
• H – Heart failure
• V – Valve disease (mitral regurgitation from papillary muscle rupture)
• A – Aneurysm (ventricular aneurysm)
• D – Dressler's syndrome (late pericarditis)
• E – Embolism (mural thrombus leading to stroke)
• R – Reinfarction

An alternative mnemonic to remembering the complications of Myocardial Infarction (MI) is: “CRAP”:

• C – Cardiogenic shock/Congestive Heart Failure/CVA (from LV thrombus)
• R – RV infarct/Rupture of left ventricle (causing cardiac tamponade)
• A – Acute mitral regurgitation, Acute ventricular septal defect, Aneurysm, Arrhythmia
• P – Pericarditis (from infarct or Dressler's)

Causes of Aortic regurgitation: CREAM

A common mnemonic to recall the causes of aortic regurgitation is “CREAM”:

• C – Congenital
• R – Rheumatic damage
• E – Endocarditis
• A – Aortic dissection / Aortic root dilation
• M – Marfan’s

Another acronym for memorising the causes of aortic regurgitation is "VINDICATE":

• V – Valvular (e.g., bicuspid aortic valve, infective endocarditis)
• I – – Infective endocarditis (leading to valve destruction or abscess formation)
• N – Non-rheumatic causes (e.g., aortic root dilation, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)
• D – Degenerative (age-related) (e.g., calcific aortic valve disease)
• I – Injury (trauma) (e.g., aortic dissection causing valve disruption)
• C – Congenital (e.g., bicuspid aortic valve or other congenital malformations)
• A – Aortic root disease (e.g., aortic aneurysm, dissection, or connective tissue diseases like Marfan’s)
• T – Toxicity (e.g., drugs causing valve damage, although rare)
• E – Endocarditis (infective, often associated with prosthetic valve endocarditis or IV drug use)

Blood Flow Through The Heart: Try Pulling My Arota

A handy mnemonic for remembering the order of blood flow through the heart is "Try Pulling My Arota”:

• T – Tricuspid valve (Between the right atrium and right ventricle)
• P – Pulmonary valve (Between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery)
• M – Mitral valve (Between the left atrium and left ventricle)
• A – Aortic valve (Between the left ventricle and the aorta)

Cardiac Medication: BANDAID

A common mnemonic to rememeber key cardiac medications and drugs is "BANDAID":

• B – Beta-blockers: Medications that reduce the heart rate and blood pressure, helping manage conditions like hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmias.
• A – ACE inhibitors: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors that help relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce strain on the heart.
• N – Nitrates: Medications that help relax and widen blood vessels, primarily used to relieve chest pain (angina).
• D – Diuretics: Drugs that help remove excess fluid from the body by increasing urine production, often used in heart failure to reduce fluid retention.
• A – Antiplatelets/Anticoagulants: Medications that prevent blood clot formation to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
• I – Inotropes: Medications that strengthen the heart’s contractions, used in cases of heart failure or cardiogenic shock.
• D – Digoxin: A medication that strengthens the heart's pumping ability and helps regulate heart rate, commonly used in atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Signs of Heart Attack: CHEST PAIN

The mnemonic “CHEST PAIN” is a great way to remember the symptoms of a heart attack:

• C – Chest discomfort/pain (Most common symptom, often described as pressure or squeezing)
• H – Heavy feeling (Can feel like an elephant sitting on the chest)
• E – Excessive sweating (Diaphoresis, often with cold sweats)
• S – Shortness of breath (Dyspnea or labored breathing)
• T – Tingling (in the arms, shoulders, jaw, or back)
• P – Pain radiating (Pain radiates to the left arm, jaw, neck, or back)
• A – Anxiety (A sense of doom or extreme anxiety often accompanies the pain)
• I – Indigestion (Sometimes mistaken for heartburn or indigestion)
• N – Nausea (Accompanied by vomiting in some cases)

Stroke Symptoms: FAST

The "FAST" mnemonic is a simplified version to quickly identify the most common symptoms of a stroke:

• F – Face drooping: Check if one side of the face droops or feels numb when the person smiles.
• A – Arm weakness: Ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downward or feels weak, it's a possible sign of a stroke.
• S – Speech difficulty: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Slurred or garbled speech indicates a potential stroke.
• T – Time to call 911: If any of the above symptoms are present, call emergency services immediately. Time is crucial when it comes to treating a stroke.

Another acronym to easily recall the warning signs of stroke is “BEFAST”:

• B –Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination, often accompanied by dizziness.
• E – Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, blurred or double vision.
• F – Face drooping: Check if one side of the face droops or feels numb when the person smiles.
• A – Arm weakness: Ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downward or feels weak, it's a possible sign of a stroke.
• S – Speech difficulty: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Slurred or garbled speech indicates a potential stroke.
• T – Time to call 911: If any of the above symptoms are present, call emergency services immediately. Time is crucial when it comes to treating a stroke.

Cardiac Auscultation: APET

The “APET” mnemonic helps you remember the key auscultation areas of the heart, focusing on the locations to listen for heart murmurs, heart sounds, or any abnormal rhythm.

• A – Aortic area: Located at the second intercostal space, right sternal border. Listen for any abnormal sounds or murmurs in the aortic valve.
• P – Pulmonic area: Located at the second intercostal space, left sternal border. This is where you listen for pulmonic valve sounds.
• E – Erb’s point: Located at the third intercostal space, left sternal border. This point is important for detecting aortic and pulmonic murmurs as well as any abnormal heart sounds.
• T – Tricuspid area: Located at the fourth intercostal space, left sternal border. Listen for sounds related to the tricuspid valve.

An alternative way to remember the key areas for cardiac auscultation is with the mnemonic "All Patients Take Meds"

• A – Aortic area: Second intercostal space, right sternal border.
• P – Pulmonic area: Second intercostal space, left sternal border.
• T – Tricuspid area: Fourth intercostal space, left sternal border.
• M – Mitral area: Fifth intercostal space, midclavicular line (also called the apex of the heart). This is where you listen for mitral valve sounds.