NEET PG Rapid Revision
Medicine One-Liners for NEET PG: Rapid Revision
High-yield internal medicine one-liners for NEET PG covering cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology, rheumatology and endocrinology.
MedNext Academy | 6 min read
Medicine One-Liners for NEET PG: Rapid Revision
High-yield internal medicine one-liners for NEET PG covering cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology, rheumatology and endocrinology.
Medicine: rapid revision one-liners for NEET PG
Medicine is the single largest subject in NEET PG, spanning cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, haematology, endocrinology, rheumatology and infectious diseases. These one-liners focus on diagnostic criteria, investigation of choice, drug of choice and classic clinical associations.
Each statement is a distilled fact that has high exam relevance. The key to scoring well in medicine is recognising clinical patterns quickly.
Must-know one-liners
- Troponin I is the most specific cardiac biomarker for myocardial infarction
- ST elevation in leads II, III, aVF indicates inferior wall MI (right coronary artery territory)
- ST elevation in leads V1-V4 indicates anterior wall MI (left anterior descending artery territory)
- Primary PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) is the preferred reperfusion strategy for STEMI if available within 120 minutes
- Streptokinase is the most commonly used fibrinolytic in India for STEMI when PCI is not available
- DAPT (dual antiplatelet therapy) with aspirin + clopidogrel/ticagrelor is standard after ACS
- Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia; CHA2DS2-VASc score guides anticoagulation
- Mitral stenosis is most commonly caused by rheumatic heart disease; opening snap and low-pitched diastolic rumble at apex
- Aortic stenosis causes syncope, angina and heart failure; ejection systolic murmur radiating to the carotid
- Infective endocarditis: modified Duke criteria; most common organism overall is Staphylococcus aureus; in native valve subacute IE, Streptococcus viridans
- Osler nodes (painful, on fingers) and Janeway lesions (painless, on palms/soles) are seen in infective endocarditis
- Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common cardiomyopathy; causes systolic dysfunction
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes; asymmetric septal hypertrophy
- Pericardial effusion with tamponade: Beck triad = hypotension, muffled heart sounds, raised JVP; electrical alternans on ECG
- Constrictive pericarditis causes Kussmaul sign (paradoxical rise in JVP on inspiration), pericardial knock and calcification on X-ray
- Asthma: reversible airway obstruction with eosinophilic inflammation; FEV1 improves > 12% and > 200 mL after bronchodilator
- COPD: irreversible airflow limitation; FEV1/FVC < 70% post-bronchodilator
- Tension pneumothorax: tracheal deviation to opposite side, absent breath sounds; needle decompression at 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line
- Pleural effusion: exudative if protein > 3 g/dL, LDH > 200 IU/L, or pleural/serum ratios meet Light criteria
- Pulmonary embolism: CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the investigation of choice; D-dimer is a sensitive but non-specific screening test
- Sarcoidosis: non-caseating granulomas, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, raised ACE levels, hypercalcaemia
- Nephrotic syndrome: proteinuria > 3.5 g/day, hypoalbuminaemia, oedema, hyperlipidaemia; minimal change disease is the most common cause in children
- Nephritic syndrome: haematuria, RBC casts, hypertension, oliguria, mild proteinuria; IgA nephropathy is the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide
- Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) shows crescents on biopsy; three types: anti-GBM (Goodpasture), immune complex, pauci-immune (ANCA-associated)
- Renal tubular acidosis Type 1 (distal): cannot secrete H+; hypokalaemia, alkaline urine, nephrocalcinosis
- Renal tubular acidosis Type 2 (proximal): cannot reabsorb HCO3-; associated with Fanconi syndrome
- Renal tubular acidosis Type 4: hypoaldosteronism; hyperkalaemia (the only RTA with high K+)
- Normal anion gap (hyperchloraemic) metabolic acidosis: diarrhoea, RTA, ureterosigmoidostomy
- High anion gap metabolic acidosis: MUDPILES -- Methanol, Uraemia, DKA, Propylene glycol, INH/Iron, Lactic acidosis, Ethylene glycol, Salicylates
- Hepatitis B serology: HBsAg = current infection; anti-HBs = immunity; HBeAg = high infectivity; anti-HBc IgM = acute infection
- Wilson disease: low ceruloplasmin, high urinary copper, Kayser-Fleischer ring, hepatolenticular degeneration; treated with penicillamine
- Haemochromatosis: iron overload causing bronze diabetes, cirrhosis and cardiomyopathy; transferrin saturation > 45% is the screening test
- Autoimmune hepatitis: ANA and anti-smooth muscle antibodies (Type 1); anti-LKM-1 (Type 2); responds to corticosteroids
- Primary biliary cholangitis: anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA); middle-aged women; cholestatic picture
- Coeliac disease: anti-tTG (tissue transglutaminase) IgA is the best screening test; villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia on duodenal biopsy; triggered by gluten
- Crohn disease: skip lesions, transmural inflammation, non-caseating granulomas, cobblestone mucosa, string sign on barium; anywhere from mouth to anus
- Ulcerative colitis: continuous mucosal inflammation starting from the rectum; pseudopolyps, lead-pipe colon on barium; risk of toxic megacolon
- SLE: anti-dsDNA antibodies are most specific; anti-Smith antibodies are also highly specific but less sensitive
- Drug-induced SLE: anti-histone antibodies; caused by hydralazine, INH, procainamide; spares the kidneys and CNS
- Rheumatoid arthritis: anti-CCP (anti-citrullinated peptide) antibodies are the most specific; symmetric polyarthritis of small joints
- Gout: negatively birefringent needle-shaped urate crystals on polarised microscopy; treatment of acute attack is colchicine/NSAIDs/steroids
- Pseudogout (CPPD): positively birefringent rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate; most commonly affects the knee
- Ankylosing spondylitis: HLA-B27 association; bamboo spine on X-ray; sacroiliitis is the earliest radiological change
- Graves disease: diffuse toxic goitre with TSH receptor stimulating antibodies (TSI); exophthalmos, pretibial myxoedema
- Hashimoto thyroiditis: most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas; anti-TPO and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies
- Addison disease: primary adrenal insufficiency; hyperpigmentation, hypotension, hyperkalaemia, hyponatraemia; ACTH stimulation test is diagnostic
- Cushing syndrome: screen with 24h urinary free cortisol, overnight dexamethasone suppression test or late-night salivary cortisol
- Pheochromocytoma: rule of 10s -- 10% bilateral, 10% extra-adrenal, 10% malignant, 10% familial; 24h urinary metanephrines for diagnosis
- Diabetes insipidus: central DI responds to desmopressin (ADH analogue); nephrogenic DI does not
- Multiple sclerosis: relapsing-remitting course is the most common; oligoclonal bands in CSF; periventricular demyelinating plaques on MRI
- Myasthenia gravis: anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies; fatigable weakness; ptosis and diplopia; edrophonium (Tensilon) test is diagnostic
- Guillain-Barre syndrome: ascending paralysis, areflexia, albuminocytological dissociation in CSF (high protein, normal cells)
- Status epilepticus: IV lorazepam first line, then IV phenytoin/fosphenytoin; refractory cases need midazolam or propofol infusion
- Stroke: CT head without contrast is the first investigation (to rule out haemorrhage before thrombolysis); IV alteplase within 4.5 hours for ischaemic stroke
- Parkinson disease: resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability; levodopa-carbidopa is the gold standard treatment
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage: thunderclap headache; CT head (sensitivity > 95% in first 6 hours); lumbar puncture if CT is negative (xanthochromia)
- Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common anaemia worldwide; low ferritin is the most sensitive and specific test
How to use these one-liners
Medicine is vast, so approach these one-liners system by system. In each session, cover 2-3 systems and test your recall by covering the second half of each statement. Focus on diagnostic criteria and investigation of choice -- these are the most commonly asked question formats.
After reviewing one-liners, do 10-15 MCQ practice questions from the same system to reinforce pattern recognition. Medicine rewards clinical reasoning, not just factual recall.
Key mnemonics
MUDPILES for high anion gap metabolic acidosis: Methanol, Uraemia, DKA, Propylene glycol, INH/Iron, Lactic acidosis, Ethylene glycol, Salicylates.
Beck triad for cardiac tamponade: hypotension, muffled heart sounds, raised JVP.
Light criteria for exudative pleural effusion: pleural protein/serum protein > 0.5, pleural LDH/serum LDH > 0.6, pleural LDH > 2/3 upper limit of normal serum LDH.
Revision schedule
Break medicine revision into systems and revise 2-3 systems per day on a rolling schedule. Cardiology, neurology, nephrology and endocrinology deserve the most time. In the last 2 weeks, aim for a complete run-through every 2 days. Medicine is the subject where consistent, spaced revision pays the biggest dividends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medicine questions appear in NEET PG?
Medicine is the largest subject, contributing 25-35 questions. Cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology and endocrinology are the most represented systems.
What is the best way to study medicine for NEET PG?
Study system-by-system using Harrison or a focused textbook. For each disease, know the diagnostic criteria, investigation of choice, drug of choice and key clinical associations. Then use one-liners for rapid revision.
Are ECG interpretation questions common?
Yes, expect 2-4 questions requiring ECG interpretation. Know the classic patterns: STEMI territory localisation, atrial fibrillation, heart blocks, long QT and ventricular tachycardia.
How do I handle the overlap between medicine and other subjects?
Use medicine as the integrating subject -- concepts from pharmacology, pathology and physiology come together here. Understanding the pathophysiology behind each clinical entity makes it easier to answer questions regardless of which subject heading they appear under.
Inside MedNext for this topic
- 411 MedNext-authored chapters
- 80,000+ MCQ bank
- 15 study modes
- Growing visual cheat sheets
Study modes
- Notes
- MCQ
- Audio
- Video
- Visual
- 3D Anatomy
- Trace
- Flashcards
- Mnemonics
- Image Bank
- Clinical
- Microscopy
- Audio QBank
- Cadaver
- Book Match
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Test your Medicine revision
You have read the one-liners. Now test whether they stuck -- a quick recall quiz on this subject takes five minutes and shows what needs another pass.
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