Neutropenia⚡Mnemonic⚡

Causes of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “CATS”
• C – Chemotherapy
• A – Autoimmune diseases
• T – Toxic reactions (drugs, chemicals)
• S – Severe infections

Triggers for Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “BIRD”
• B – Bacterial infections
• I – Idiopathic causes
• R – Radiation therapy
• D – Drug-induced (antibiotics, antipsychotics)

Risk Factors For Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “FISH”
• F – Family history of neutropenia
• I – Immunosuppressive therapy
• S – Splenomegaly
• H – Hematologic malignancies

Warning Signs of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “OWL”
• O – Oral ulcers
• W – Wounds not healing
• L – Low-grade fever

Predisposing Factors of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “RABBIT”
• R – Rheumatoid arthritis
• A – Aplastic anemia
• B – Bone marrow suppression
• B – B12 or folate deficiency
• I – Inherited disorders (e.g., Kostmann syndrome)
• T – Thyroid disorders

Signs & Symptoms of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “DOG”
• D – Delayed wound healing
• O – Opportunistic infections
• G – Gingival infections

Characteristic Findings In Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “DUCK”
• D – Decreased neutrophil count
• U – Unexplained fever
• C – Chronic mouth ulcers
• K – Known predisposing factors

What Should Be Avoided In Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “CAT”
• C – Crowded places (to reduce infection risk)
• A – Abrasive foods (to prevent oral injury)
• T – Toxic substances (like certain drugs and chemicals)

Drugs Used To Treat Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “PIGEON”
• P – Pegfilgrastim
• I – Immunosuppressants (in autoimmune neutropenia)
• G – G-CSF (Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor)
• E – Erythropoietin (if associated with anemia)
• O – Opioids (for severe pain management)
• N – Neupogen (Filgrastim)

Drugs To Avoid In Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “SNAKE”
• S – Sulfa drugs
• N – NSAIDs
• A – Anticonvulsants
• K – Ketoconazole
• E – Ethanol-containing medications

Radiological Features of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “EAGLE”
• E – Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly on ultrasound)
• A – Absence of significant findings in mild cases
• G – Granuloma formation (in chronic neutropenia)
• L – Lymph node enlargement (lymphadenopathy)
• E – Evidence of bone marrow expansion (in MRI)

Diagnostic Tests for Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “OWL”
• O – Overall blood count (Complete Blood Count)
• W – Wright’s stain (to examine blood smear)
• L – Lymphocyte count (part of CBC)

Laboratory Findings In Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “HAWK”
• H – High susceptibility to infections
• A – Anemia (may coexist)
• W – White blood cell count (specifically, neutrophils) reduction
• K – Kinetics of neutrophil production and destruction (bone marrow examination)

Clinical Features of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “FROG”
• F – Frequent infections
• R – Recurrent fever
• O – Oral lesions
• G – Gastrointestinal complications

Complications of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “FOX”
• F – Fungal infections
• O – Overwhelming sepsis
• X – eXtensive tissue damage (due to unresolved infections)

Differential Diagnosis of Neutropenia:

• Mnemonic: “BEAR”
• B – Bone marrow disorders
• E – Endocrine disorders (e.g., hyperthyroidism)
• A – Autoimmune diseases
• R – Rare genetic conditions (e.g., cyclic neutropenia)