One of the most convenient ways of learning and remembering the main components of disease and identifying a medical condition on an exam are Triads, and medical students/interns/residents swear by them.
Be it a question during rounds, a multiple-choice exam question to be solved, or even in medical practice, the famous triads help physicians recall important characteristics and clinical features of a disease or treatment in an instant.
Since exam season is here, this could serve as a rapid review to recall the most common medical conditions.
While there are a vast number of triads/pentads available online, I have listed the most important (high-yy) ones that every student would be asked about at least once in the duration of their course.
1) Lethal Triad also known as The Trauma Triad of Death
Hypothermia + Coagulopathy + Metabolic Acidosis
2) Beck’s Triad of Cardiac Tamponade
Muffled heart sounds + Distended neck veins + Hypotension
3) Virchow’s Triad – Venous Thrombosis
Hypercoagulability + stasis + endothelial damage
4) Charcot’s Triad – Ascending Cholangitis
Fever with rigors + Right upper quadrant pain + Jaundice
5) Cushing’s Triad – Raised Intracranial Pressure
Bradycardia + Irregular respiration + Hypertension
6) Triad of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Severe Abdominal/Back Pain + Hypotension + Pulsatile Abdominal mass
7) Reactive Arthritis
Can’t See (Conjunctivitis) + Can’t Pee (Urethritis) + Can’t Climb a Tree (Arthritis)
8) Triad of Opioid Overdose
Pinpoint pupils + Respiratory Depression + CNS Depression
9) Hakims Triad – Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Gait Disturbance + Dementia + Urinary Incontinence
10) Horner’s Syndrome Triad
Ptosis + Miosis + Anydrosis
11) Mackler’s Triad – Oesophageal Perforation (Boerhaave Syndrome)
Vomiting + Lower Thoracic Pain + Subcutaneous Emphysema
12) Pheochromocytoma
Palpitations + Headache + Perspiration (Diaphoresis)
13) Leriche Syndrome
Buttock claudication + Impotence + Symmetrical Atrophy of bilateral lower extremities
14) Rigler’s Triad – Gallstone ileus
Gallstones + Pneumobilia + Small bowel obstruction
15) Whipple’s Triad – Insulinoma
Hypoglycemic attack + Low glucose + Resolving of the attack on glucose administration
16) Meniere’s Disease
Tinnitus + Vertigo + Hearing loss
17) Wernicke’s Encephalopathy- Thiamine Deficiency
Confusion + Ophthalmoplegia + Ataxia
18) Unhappy Triad – Knee Injury
Injury to Anterior Cruciate Ligament + Medial collateral ligament + Medial or Lateral Meniscus
19) Henoch Schonlein Purpura
Purpura + Abdominal pain + Joint pain
20) Meigs Syndrome
Benign ovarian tumor + pleural effusion + ascites
21) Felty’s Syndrome
Rheumatoid Arthritis + Splenomegaly + Neutropenia
22) Cauda Equina Syndrome
Low back pain + Bowel/Bladder Dysfunction + Saddle Anesthesia
23) Meningitis
Fever + Headache + Neck Stiffness
24) Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome
Delta Waves + Short PR Interval + Wide QRS Complex
25) Neurogenic Shock
Bradycardia + Hypotension + Hypothermia
Further Reading
- Review more mnemonics on a previously published chapter: https://iem-student.org/mnemonics/
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_triads,_tetrads,_and_pentads
