To help you remember which fluid belongs to which compartment, keep in mind that INTER means "between" (as

in interval between two events) and INTRA means "within" or "inside" (as in intravenous inside a vein). To remind yourself about the difference between anions and cations, remember that the T in cation looks like the positive symbol +. To remember which blood types are compatible, visualize the letter O as an orb representing the universe, because type O blood is the universal donor blood. Patients with any blood type can receive it. But O also means odd man out: Patients with type O blood can receive only type O blood. Think BEEP to remember the signs of minor bleeding: B: Bleeding gums E: Ecchymoses (bruises) E: Epistaxis (nosebleed) P: Petechiae (tiny purplish spots) Having difficulty distinguishing hypoplasia from hyperplasia? When you see plasia in any word, think of "plastic." Plastic, in turn, means forming or developing. As for hypo and hyper, thats the easy part. Hypo means under, or below normal. Hyper means excessive, or above normal. Thus, hypoplasia means underdevelopment, and hyperplasia means overdevelopment. A stand-up comedian who gets no laughs might say his audience has humoral immunity. But humor is the Latin word for liquid, and humoral immunity comes from elements in the blood specifically, antibodies. Contrast this with cellular immunity, which comes about through the actions of T cells. Searching for a hook to use when assessing patients for serum sickness(a phyiological reaction to injected medication or antiserum after 7-21 days)? Just think of the word FARM. Each letter stands for a key sign or symptom of serum sickness. It is treated with corticosteroids, antihistamines, and NSAIDs. F: Fever A: Arthralgias (pain in joints) R: Rash M: Malaise (a feeling of uneasiness typically at the beginning of an infection or illness) *lymph node inflammation is also present. Did you know that the doctor uses ESP to perform a skin biopsy? No, that doesnt mean he uses extrasensory perception. ESP simply refers to the three different techniques Excision, Shave, or Punch used to secure a skin biopsy specimen. The word MOHS can help you remember a chief benefit of Mohs surgery: M: Minimizing O: Of H: His (or Her) S: Scar RIDES is your clue to the key signs of pressure ulcers. R: Red I: Inflamed D: Discharge E: Eschar (dead tissue that falls off of healthy skin) S: Shiny (glossy) ASH is an easy way to remember the primary risk factors for breast cancer. A: Age (The risk increases after age 50.) S: Sex (About 90% of breast cancers are found in women.) H: History (A personal or family history of breast cancer increases the risk for the disease.) Use the ABCD rule to assess a moles malignant potential. A: Asymmetry (Is the mole irregular in shape?) B: Border (Is its border irregular, notched, or poorly defined?) C: Color (Does the color vary for example, between shades of brown, red, white, or black?) D: Diameter (Is the diameter more than 6 mm?) The mnemonic OUTS helps you remember the main forms of urinary incontinence. O: Overflow incontinence (urine loss occurring when a specific bladder volume is reached) U: Urge incontinence (urine loss from a bladder contraction that follows a strong, sudden need to urinate) T: Total incontinence (complete loss of urinary control, as from a nonfunctioning urethral sphincter muscle) S: Stress incontinence (loss of small amounts of urine when abdominal pressure increases, such as when a person coughs, sneezes, or lifts a heavy object)