ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ assessment: the best medical mnemonic of all time
When seeing any acutely unwell patient the most important steps are your ABCDE assessment. However, beyond ABCDE lies the ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ assessment, used by only the finest clinicians…
The best medical mnemonic ever
| Issue | Action | |
| A | Airway | Check patency, consider adjuncts |
| B | Breathing | Check RR and sats, give oxygen, auscultate chest (remember pneumothorax) |
| C | Circulation | Check BP, insert IV lines, take labs tests and gas, give fluids |
| D | Disability | Check GCS and glucose |
| E | Exposure | Check temperature and do full examination |
| F | Fluids | Have you given a fluid challenge? Measure UOP and consider catheter |
| G | Gas | Have you checked an ABG or VBG? When do you need to repeat this? |
| H | Haematology | Have you sent all the lab tests you need? |
| I | Imaging | Have you ordered X-rays and reviewed recent imaging? Is there anything else you need: USS or CT? |
| J | Jobs (nursing) | Have you allocated jobs appropriately? Can the nursing staff help? |
| K | EKG (ECG) | Have you looked at the ECG and compared it to previous? |
| L | Location | Is the patient in the right place? Do they need to be moved (e.g. ICU)? |
| M | Monitoring | How often would you like monitoring? Any need for neuro-obs? |
| N | Next of kin | Has anyone informed the NoK? Do you need to? |
| O | Oh, shit | Stop. Think. Are you OK? Do you need help? |
| P | Plan | Have you documented your plan and informed the nursing staff? |
| Q | Questions | Does the patient have any questions about what's happened? |
With this beauty in your pocket you can’t go wrong!
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