Respiratory Medicine
Browse 64 topics in respiratory medicine.
Acute Asthma Exacerbation
In the United Kingdom, asthma affects approximately 5.4 million people, leading to roughly 75,000 emergency hospital admissions and 1,400 deaths annually. A critical finding in the National Review of Asthma Deaths...
Acute Bronchiolitis - Adult
Acute bronchiolitis in adults is an inflammatory condition of the small airways (bronchioles, below 2 mm diameter) most ... ACEM Primary Written, ACEM Primary V
Acute Chest Syndrome
The clinical course is often unpredictable, with many cases developing 48–72 hours into an admission for a painful VOC. The pathophysiology involves a "vicious cycle" where regional hypoxia leads to red cell sickling...
Acute Cough in Adults
Acute cough is defined as a cough lasting less than 3 weeks . It is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical advice, representing approximately 3% of all primary care consultations. The vast majority...
Acute Exacerbation of Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is characterized by permanent, abnormal dilation of bronchi due to destruction of elastic and muscular components of bronchial walls, creating a favorable environment for chronic bacterial colonization....
Acute Respiratory Distress - Paediatric
Acute respiratory distress in children represents increased work of breathing or inadequate ventilation resulting from a... MRCPCH exam preparation.
Acute Severe Asthma in Adults
Acute severe asthma is a medical emergency characterised by progressive bronchospasm, airway inflammation, and mucus hyp... MRCP exam preparation.
Acute Upper Airway Obstruction
Key Facts Definition : Blockage of airway above the level of the carina (tracheal bifurcation) Incidence : 2-5% of emergency airway presentations; rare but critical Mortality : 5-10% if treated promptly; near 100% if...
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is an autosomal codominant genetic disorder caused by mutations in the SERPINA1 ge... MRCP exam preparation.
ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
1.1 Summary ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) represents a group of rare, heterogeneous, and life-threatening multi-system autoimmune disorders characterized by necrotizing inflammation of small-to-medium-sized blood...
ARDS Pathology
Define/Describe - Berlin Definition, DAD as histopathological correlate... CICM First Part Written SAQ, CICM First Part Written MCQ exam preparation.
Aspiration Pneumonia
Key Facts Incidence : Accounts for 5-15% of community-acquired pneumonia; up to 30% in nursing home residents Pathogenesis : Failure of airway protective mechanisms → aspiration of colonised oropharyngeal/gastric...
Asthma - Adult
Acute asthma exacerbations result from acute bronchospasm, airway inflammation, and increased mucus production causing r... ACEM Primary Written, ACEM Primary V
Asthma (Chronic Management)
Chronic Asthma is a heterogeneous respiratory disease characterised by chronic airway inflammation and bronchial hyper-r... MRCP exam preparation.
Asthma in ICU (Status Asthmaticus)
Comprehensive CICM Second Part clinical guide to Status Asthmaticus (acute severe asthma) in the ICU, covering pathophysiology, dynamic hyperinflation, auto-PEEP, mechanical ventilation strategies, permissive...
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), also known as Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity (CLD), is the most common serious re... MRCPCH, DCH exam preparation.
Bronchoscopy Equipment
Bronchoscope Types: Flexible video (standard adult OD 5.0-5.5mm, slim 3.5-4.2mm, therapeutic 6.0-6.4mm), rigid (stain... CICM Second Part Written, CICM Secon
Community Acquired Pneumonia
Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma acquired outside of the hospital setting... MRCP, USMLE exam preparation.
Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma (alveoli and respiratory bronchioles) in... MRCP exam preparation.
Community-Acquired Pneumonia - Adult
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an acute lower respiratory tract infection acquired outside hospital, presenting w... ACEM Fellowship Written, ACEM Fellow
Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)
Successful management is predicated on the "Early Recognition and Rapid Intervention" paradigm. This involves immediate clinical suspicion, prompt severity stratification using validated scoring systems (CURB-65 or...
COPD Exacerbation
An Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) is defined by the GOLD 2024 Report as an event c... MRCP exam preparation.
COPD Exacerbation in ICU
Corticosteroids for 5 days (REDUCE trial evidence)... CICM Second Part Written, CICM Second Part Hot Case exam preparation.
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcosis is a potentially life-threatening systemic fungal infection caused by encapsulated yeasts of the Cryptoco... MRCP exam preparation.
Drowning - ICU Management
Day 1-3 post-drowning with ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation... CICM Second Part Written, CICM Second Part Hot Case exam preparation.
Foreign Body Aspiration (Adult)
Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is the inhalation of exogenous material into the larynx or tracheobronchial tree, represen... MRCP exam preparation.
Goodpasture's Disease (Anti-GBM)
Goodpasture's disease (anti-GBM disease) is a rare but life-threatening autoimmune disorder characterized by circulating antibodies directed against the α3 chain of type IV collagen in the glomerular basement membrane...
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)
A comprehensive, evidence-based guide to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), covering c-ANCA/PR3 pathogenesis, pulmonary-renal syndrome, necrotising granulomatous inflammation, and modern immunosuppressive therapy...
Haemoptysis
Comprehensive evidence-based guide to the diagnosis and management of haemoptysis in adults
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is pneumonia that develops ≥48 hours after hospital admission and was not incubating a... MRCP exam preparation.
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is defined as pneumonia that develops 48 hours or more after hospital admission and wa... MRCP, FFICM exam preparation.
Hydatid Disease (Echinococcosis)
Humans are accidental intermediate hosts, infected through ingestion of parasite eggs from contaminated food or contact with definitive hosts (primarily dogs). The larvae migrate to the liver (60-70%) or lungs...
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unkn... MRCP exam preparation.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) of unknown aeti... MRCP exam preparation.
Influenza (Flu)
Influenza is an acute viral respiratory infection caused by Influenza viruses A and B, representing one of the most sign... MRCP, FRACP exam preparation.
Invasive Aspergillosis
Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection caused predominantly by Aspergillus fum... MRCP exam preparation.
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS)
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) is a rare autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction characterized by pr... MRCP exam preparation.
Legionnaires' Disease
The disease represents 2-9% of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) cases but accounts for a disproportionately high number of severe pneumonia cases requiring ICU admission. Mortality ranges from 5-10% in...
Lung Abscess
Lung abscess is a circumscribed collection of pus within the lung parenchyma resulting from suppurative necrosis and cav... MRCP exam preparation.
Lung Cancer
Comprehensive, evidence-based guide to Lung Cancer covering epidemiology, molecular pathophysiology, TNM 8 staging with detailed substaging, EGFR/ALK/ROS1 molecular subtypes, immunotherapy (PD-L1 testing), LDCT...
Malignant Mesothelioma
This malignancy is intrinsically linked to asbestos exposure, with a characteristic latency period of 20-50 years between first exposure and clinical presentation. Due to peak asbestos utilization in the...
Massive Hemoptysis - ICU Management
Position bleeding side DOWN - protect the non-bleeding lung... CICM Second Part Written, CICM Second Part Hot Case exam preparation.
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) is a severe respiratory disorder occurring in newborns who have inhaled meconium-stai... MRCPCH exam preparation.
Motor Neurone Disease
The hallmark of MND is the combination of upper motor neurone (UMN) and lower motor neurone (LMN) signs in the same body region, without sensory involvement. This distinguishes it from other neuromuscular conditions....
Motor Neurone Disease (ALS)
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterised by selective degeneration o... MRCP exam preparation.
Mycoplasma Pneumonia (Atypical Pneumonia)
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a cell wall-deficient bacterium representing one of the smallest free-living organisms capable of self-replication. It is the most common cause of atypical pneumonia in children and young...
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (Adult)
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of complete (apnoea) or partial (hypopnoea) upper airway obstruction during sleep , resulting in...
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
The core pathology is a "Starling Resistor" failure: the negative pressure generated by the diaphragm overcomes the structural stability of the pharyngeal dilator muscles, causing the airway to suck closed like a wet...
Pertussis
While pertussis affects all age groups, it poses the greatest threat to young infants, particularly those under 6 months of age who have not completed their primary vaccination series. In this vulnerable population,...
Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, the potential space between the visceral an... MRCP exam preparation.
Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP)
Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP), caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, is a life-threatening opportunistic infection... MRCP exam preparation.
Pneumonia - Adult
CURB-65 score (0-1: outpatient, 2: consider admission, ≥3: severe - ICU assessment) is the most validated severity to... ACEM Fellowship Written, ACEM Fellow
Pneumothorax in Adults
Pneumothorax is defined as air in the pleural space, resulting in partial or complete lung collapse. It represents a com... MRCP, FRACP exam preparation.
Pneumothorax in ICU
Comprehensive CICM Second Part clinical guide to Pneumothorax in the ICU, covering classification, aetiology, tension pneumothorax pathophysiology, detection in ventilated patients, needle decompression, chest drain...
Pulmonary Embolism
"Think PE in Unexplained Dyspnoea" : PE can present with isolated dyspnoea, pleuritic chest pain, syncope, or even just tachycardia. The classic triad of dyspnoea, chest pain, and haemoptysis occurs in less than 20%...
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a haemodynamic and pathophysiological condition defined by an increase in mean pulmonary ... MRCP exam preparation.
Respiratory Failure (Adult)
Comprehensive evidence-based guide to acute and chronic respiratory failure in adults
Sarcoidosis
Diagnostic Pearl : Löfgren's Syndrome (erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, polyarthritis/arthralgia) is highly specific (95%) for sarcoidosis. In this specific setting, biopsy is generally not required...
Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable, and treatable chronic respiratory condition characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation due to airway and/or alveolar...
Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
SSc represents one of the most challenging rheumatological conditions due to its heterogeneous clinical manifestations, ... MRCP exam preparation.
Tension Pneumothorax
Key Facts Definition : Progressive accumulation of air in pleural space under pressure, causing mediastinal shift and cardiovascular compromise Incidence : 5-10% of traumatic pneumothoraces develop tension; rare in...
Tuberculosis (Pulmonary) - Adult
TB affects primarily the lung parenchyma but has the biological capacity to disseminate to virtually every organ system ... MRCP, Respiratory Medicine exam prep
Vasculitis Emergency
Vasculitis emergencies occur when inflammation of blood vessels causes acute life-threatening organ damage requiring imm... MRCP, FRACP exam preparation.
Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) encompasses deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), representing a spectrum... MRCP, USMLE exam preparation.