Mnemonics for the causes of renal papillary necrosis are plentiful and include:
- NSAID
- POSTCARDS
- AD SPORT C: a list of causes in decreasing order of incidence
- DINASOR
Mnemonics
NSAID
Most common causes:
- N: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- S: sickle cell disease
- A: acetaminοphen (acetaminophen) and phenacetin
- I: infection (e.g. pyelonephritis, tuberculosis)
- D: diabetes mellitus or dehydration
POSTCARDS
- P: pyelonephritis
- O: obstruction
- S: sickle cell disease
- T: tuberculosis
- C: cirrhosis
- A: analgesic abuse
- R: renal vein thrombosis
- D: diabetes mellitus
- S: systemic vasculitides
AD SPORT C
This is a list of causes in order of incidence.
- A: analgesic abuse (phenacetin, NSAIDs, acetaminophen: especially in combination)
- D: diabetes mellitus
- S: sickle cell disease
- P: pyelonephritis (especially in children)
- O: obstruction
- R: renal vein thrombosis
- T: renal tuberculosis (not usually confined to papillae)
- C: cirrhosis
DINASOR
- D: diabetes mellitus
- I: infection (tuberculosis, E. coli)
- N: NSAIDs
- A: analgesic abuse
- S: sickle cell disease
- O: obstruction
- R: renal vein thrombosis
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