Which mnemonic reflects the OLD CARTS elements for history taking?

• A. Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Alleviating factors, Aggravating factors, Timing, Severity
• B. Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing, Severity
• C. Onset, Location, Duration, Quality, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Time of day, Severity
• D. Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Causes, Treatments, Timing, Severity

Answer: (B)

Old CARTS organizes the history of a symptom by eight specific elements: Onset, Location, Duration, Character (Quality of the sensation), Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Timing, and Severity. The best option lists exactly these eight components, capturing when it started, where it is, how long it lasts, what the sensation feels like, what makes it worse or better, how often it occurs, and how intense it is. Other choices include factors not part of this mnemonic, such as Time of day, Causes, or Treatments, or use a slightly different term like Alleviating instead of Relieving, which does not align with the standard OLD CARTS framework.