OPQRST is a mnemonic initialism used by medical professionals to accurately discern reasons for a patient's symptoms and history in the event of an acute illness. [1] It is specifically adapted to elicit symptoms of a possible heart attack. [2] Each letter stands for an important line of questioning for the patient assessment. [3] [4] This is usually taken along with vital signs and the SAMPLE history and would usually be recorded by the person delivering the aid, such as in the "Subjective" portion of a SOAP note, for later reference.
"PQRST" (onset "O") is sometimes used in conjunction. [5] [6] [7]
The term "OPQRST-AAA" adds "aggravating/alleviating factors", "associated symptoms", and "attributions/adaptations". [8]
The parts of the mnemonic are: