USMLE Mnemonics Microbiology
Gram negative respiratory group - answer"Bugs Harming Beathing Lungs" Bordetella,
Haemophilus, Burkholderia, Legionella
Gram negative zoonotic group - answer"Pesty Bugs From Beasts" Pasteurella,
Bartonella, Francisella, Brucella
Bugs that do not Gram stain well - answer"These Little Microbes May Unfortunately
Lack Real Color But Are Everywhere" Treponema Leptospira, Mycobacteria,
Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Legionella, Rickettsia, Chlamydia, Bartonella, Anaplasma,
Ehrlichia
Bugs stained with Giemsa - answer"Try Coloring Patient's Raw Blood" Trypanosomes,
Chlamydia, Plasmodium, Rickettia, Borrelia
Antimicrobials in Thayer Martin agar - answer"Very Typically Cultures Neisseria" Vanco,
Trimethoprim, Colistin, Nystatin
Aerobes - answer"Nagging Pests Must Be Breathing" Nocardia, Mycobacteria, Bacillus,
Burkholderia
Anaerobes - answer"Can't Breathe Fresh Air" Clostridium, Bacteroides, Fusobacterium,
Actinomyces
Cystine requiring bacteria - answer"French Legionnaire Bruce Pasteur"
Facultative intracellulars - answer"Some Nasty Bugs May Live FacultativeLY"
Salmonella, Neisseria, Brucella, Mycobacterium, Legionella, Francisella, Listeria,
Yersinia
Encapsulated microbes - answer"Some Elegant Killers Have Pretty Nice Capsules So
Beware" S. pneu, E. coli, Klebsiella, H. inf type B, P. aeru, N. meningitidis,
Cryptococcus, Salmonella, B Strep
Urease positive microbes - answer"Pee CHUNKS" Proteus, Cryptococcus, H. pylori,
Ureaplasma, Nocardia, Klebsiella, Staph other than aureus
, Catalase positive microbes - answer"Notorious Bacteria Have Sparkled PLACES"
Nocardia, B. capecia, H. Pylori, Staphylococci, Pseudo, Listeria, Aspergillus, Candida,
E. coli, Serratia
Organisms causing granulomas - answer"Fran Likes My Pal Bruce And His Big Car in
Salt Lake City" Francisella, Listeria, Mycobacterium, Pasteurella, Brucella, Actinomyces,
Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidiodes, Schistosoma, LGV, Cat Scretch
IgA protease producing bacteria - answer"IG Protease" Influenzae, Gonorhoeae,
Pneumoniae (Strep). These are also the bacteria that may undergo transformation
Bacteria using type III secretion system - answer"Evil Pathogens Stick Syringe" E. coli,
P. aeru, Salmonella, Shigella
Labile and stable toxins cGMP or cAMP - answer"Labile as Air Stable as Ground"
Features of endotoxin - answer"ENDOTOXINS" Edema, NO, DIC, Outer membrane,
TNF-alpha, O antigen+core polysaccharide+lipid a, Xtremely heat stable, Il-1 and -6,
Neutrophil chemotaxis, Shock
Bacitracin test - answer"For Beta hemolytic bacteria, group B survives"
Growth in NaCl - answer"Growth test for Gamma hemolytics)
Pyogenes pyrolidonyl negative or positive ? - answer"PYogenes is PYrolidonyl Positive"
Major criteria of ARheuF - answer"ACCES" Arthritis, Chorea, Carditis, Erythema
marginatum, Subcutaneous nodules
Minor criteria of ARheuF - answer"FAIL" Fever, Arthralgia, Inflammation (increased
WBC, CRP or ESR), Long pr interval
Hippurate positive Strep - answer"Babe has nice HIPs" Group B
CAMP test - answer"agalactiae Can AMPlify aureus hemolysis zone"
Esculin test - answer"Enterococci hydrolyze Esculin"
Symptoms of botulism - answer"5 D's" Diplopia, Dysarthria, Dysphagia, Dyspnea, Dry
mouth
Features of C. diphtheriae - answer"ABCDEFGH" Adp ribosylation, Beta
prophage/Black colonies, Chromatic (meta-) granules, Diphtheria, Elek test/Ef2,
Faryngitis, Gray membranes, Heart involvement
Gram negative respiratory group - answer"Bugs Harming Beathing Lungs" Bordetella,
Haemophilus, Burkholderia, Legionella
Gram negative zoonotic group - answer"Pesty Bugs From Beasts" Pasteurella,
Bartonella, Francisella, Brucella
Bugs that do not Gram stain well - answer"These Little Microbes May Unfortunately
Lack Real Color But Are Everywhere" Treponema Leptospira, Mycobacteria,
Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Legionella, Rickettsia, Chlamydia, Bartonella, Anaplasma,
Ehrlichia
Bugs stained with Giemsa - answer"Try Coloring Patient's Raw Blood" Trypanosomes,
Chlamydia, Plasmodium, Rickettia, Borrelia
Antimicrobials in Thayer Martin agar - answer"Very Typically Cultures Neisseria" Vanco,
Trimethoprim, Colistin, Nystatin
Aerobes - answer"Nagging Pests Must Be Breathing" Nocardia, Mycobacteria, Bacillus,
Burkholderia
Anaerobes - answer"Can't Breathe Fresh Air" Clostridium, Bacteroides, Fusobacterium,
Actinomyces
Cystine requiring bacteria - answer"French Legionnaire Bruce Pasteur"
Facultative intracellulars - answer"Some Nasty Bugs May Live FacultativeLY"
Salmonella, Neisseria, Brucella, Mycobacterium, Legionella, Francisella, Listeria,
Yersinia
Encapsulated microbes - answer"Some Elegant Killers Have Pretty Nice Capsules So
Beware" S. pneu, E. coli, Klebsiella, H. inf type B, P. aeru, N. meningitidis,
Cryptococcus, Salmonella, B Strep
Urease positive microbes - answer"Pee CHUNKS" Proteus, Cryptococcus, H. pylori,
Ureaplasma, Nocardia, Klebsiella, Staph other than aureus
, Catalase positive microbes - answer"Notorious Bacteria Have Sparkled PLACES"
Nocardia, B. capecia, H. Pylori, Staphylococci, Pseudo, Listeria, Aspergillus, Candida,
E. coli, Serratia
Organisms causing granulomas - answer"Fran Likes My Pal Bruce And His Big Car in
Salt Lake City" Francisella, Listeria, Mycobacterium, Pasteurella, Brucella, Actinomyces,
Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidiodes, Schistosoma, LGV, Cat Scretch
IgA protease producing bacteria - answer"IG Protease" Influenzae, Gonorhoeae,
Pneumoniae (Strep). These are also the bacteria that may undergo transformation
Bacteria using type III secretion system - answer"Evil Pathogens Stick Syringe" E. coli,
P. aeru, Salmonella, Shigella
Labile and stable toxins cGMP or cAMP - answer"Labile as Air Stable as Ground"
Features of endotoxin - answer"ENDOTOXINS" Edema, NO, DIC, Outer membrane,
TNF-alpha, O antigen+core polysaccharide+lipid a, Xtremely heat stable, Il-1 and -6,
Neutrophil chemotaxis, Shock
Bacitracin test - answer"For Beta hemolytic bacteria, group B survives"
Growth in NaCl - answer"Growth test for Gamma hemolytics)
Pyogenes pyrolidonyl negative or positive ? - answer"PYogenes is PYrolidonyl Positive"
Major criteria of ARheuF - answer"ACCES" Arthritis, Chorea, Carditis, Erythema
marginatum, Subcutaneous nodules
Minor criteria of ARheuF - answer"FAIL" Fever, Arthralgia, Inflammation (increased
WBC, CRP or ESR), Long pr interval
Hippurate positive Strep - answer"Babe has nice HIPs" Group B
CAMP test - answer"agalactiae Can AMPlify aureus hemolysis zone"
Esculin test - answer"Enterococci hydrolyze Esculin"
Symptoms of botulism - answer"5 D's" Diplopia, Dysarthria, Dysphagia, Dyspnea, Dry
mouth
Features of C. diphtheriae - answer"ABCDEFGH" Adp ribosylation, Beta
prophage/Black colonies, Chromatic (meta-) granules, Diphtheria, Elek test/Ef2,
Faryngitis, Gray membranes, Heart involvement
