Figures
- Figure 1
Overview of the Delphi process.
Tables
- Table 1
ERS syllabus for postgraduate training in respiratory infections
Module 1. Pathogens (respiratory microbiology) 1 Respiratory microbiology Mandatory 1.1 Normal bacterial flora 1.2 Classification of respiratory microorganisms 2 Respiratory bacteria Mandatory 2.1 Gram positive 2.2 Gram negative 2.3 Atypicals 3 Respiratory viruses Mandatory 3.1 RNA viruses (seasonal and/or pandemic, emerging) 3.2 DNA viruses (seasonal and/or pandemic, emerging) 4 Respiratory fungi Mandatory 4.1 Candida spp. 4.2 Aspergillus spp. 4.3 Pneumocystis 4.4 Other fungi (including Mucor spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Exophiala and Scedosporium) Optional 5 Mycobacteria Mandatory 5.1 Mycobacterium tuberculosis 5.2 Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) 6 Antimicrobial resistance Mandatory 6.1 Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance 6.2 Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria 6.3 Risk factors for MDR bacteria 6.4 MDR/extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis 6.5 Risk factors for MDR/XDR tuberculosis 6.6 NTM resistance 6.7 Resistance in other microorganisms (anti-fungal and anti-viral resistance) Optional 6.8 Influenza resistance Optional 7 Microbiome Optional Module 2. Host respiratory defence mechanisms against infection 1 Natural barriers Mandatory 1.1 Cilia/primary ciliary dyskinesia 2 Innate immune systems Mandatory 2.1 Complement 2.2 Cells 2.3 Defensins 2.4 Cytokines 2.5 Inflammation process 3 Adaptive immune systems Mandatory 3.1 Humoral immunity 3.2 Cellular immunity 4 Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) Optional 5 Pathophysiology of respiratory infections Mandatory 5.1 Transmission 5.2 Infection 5.3 Inflammation 5.4 Resolution Module 3. Epidemiology, burden of disease and risk factors 1 Epidemiological burden of respiratory infections Mandatory 1.2 Bacterial infections 1.3 Viral infections 1.4 Fungal infections 1.5 Mycobacterial infections (tuberculosis and NTM) 2 Risk factors for respiratory infections and transmission Mandatory 2.1 Environmental risk factors 2.2 Host risk factors (including other conditions leading to mild immunosuppression, e.g. diabetes mellitus) 2.3 Microbial risk factors Module 4. Diagnostic techniques for respiratory infections 1 Indication and collection of biological specimens Mandatory 1.1 Noninvasive (blood, urine, bronchoalveolar lavage, throat swabs) 1.2 Invasive (sputum, tracheal aspirate, thoracentesis, imaging-guided biopsy, transthoracic fine-needle biopsy) 2 Microscopy Optional 3 Culture Optional 4 Susceptibility testing Optional 5 Immunological tests Optional 5.1 Interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) 5.2 Tuberculin skin test 5.3 Serology 6 Molecular testing Optional 7 Rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests for viral and bacterial respiratory tract infections Optional 8 Imaging techniques in relation to infections (including chest radiography, computed tomography, lung ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging) Mandatory Module 5. General principles of antimicrobial therapy 1 Antibacterial agents Mandatory 1.1 Classification and activity (including pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) principles) 2 Antiviral agents Mandatory 2.1 Classification and activity (including PK/PD principles) 3 Antifungal agents Mandatory 3.1 Classification and activity (including PK/PD principles) 4 Antimycobacterial agents Mandatory 4.1 Classification and activity (including PK/PD principles) 5 Drug delivery or administration Mandatory 5.1 Oral 5.2 Inhaled 5.3 Intravenous 5.4 Intramuscular 6 Drug–drug interaction Mandatory 7 Antimicrobial adverse events Mandatory 7.1 Haematological side-effects 7.2 Nausea and vomiting 7.3 Diarrhoea including Clostridium difficile infection 7.4 Ototoxicity 7.5 Hepatic toxicity 7.6 Nephrotoxicity 7.7 Cardiovascular toxicity 8 Principles of antimicrobial stewardship (including prevention of infection, infection control, adequate and appropriate treatment) Mandatory Module 6. Common respiratory tract syndromes 1 Common upper respiratory tract syndromes (including acute infective rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, epiglottitis, laryngotracheitis) Mandatory 2 Acute bronchitis Mandatory 3 Bronchiolitis Mandatory 4 Exacerbation of asthma Mandatory 5 Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Mandatory 6 Exacerbation of bronchiectasis Mandatory 7 Community-acquired pneumonia, including nursing-home pneumonia Mandatory 8 Nosocomial pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia Mandatory 9 Aspiration pneumonia Mandatory 10 Seasonal influenza Mandatory 11 Extrapulmonary complications Mandatory Module 7. Other respiratory infections 1 Fungal pulmonary infections Mandatory 2 Lung abscess Mandatory 3 Nocardiosis Mandatory 4 Actinomycosis Mandatory 5 Parasitic pneumonia Optional 6 Travel born respiratory infections Mandatory Module 8. Severe viral respiratory infections 1 Viruses Mandatory 1.1 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), H1N1, H5N1 2 Pandemics Mandatory 2.1 Identification 2.2 Management 2.3 Public health policies Module 9. Mycobacterial disease 1 Pulmonary tuberculosis Mandatory 2 Extrapulmonary tuberculosis Mandatory 3 Latent tuberculosis infection Mandatory 4 Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections Mandatory Module 10. Chronic respiratory infections in patients with respiratory disease 1 Asthma Mandatory 2 COPD Mandatory 3 Bronchiectasis Mandatory 4 Adult cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis Mandatory Module 11. Pulmonary infections in the immunocompromised host 1 Neutropenic patients Mandatory 2 HIV-infected patients Mandatory 3 Haematological disorders and malignancy Mandatory 4 Lung and other solid organ transplant recipients Mandatory 5 Haematopoietic cell transplant recipients Mandatory 6 Secondary immunodeficiency induced by drugs and biologicals Mandatory 7 Primary immune deficiency syndromes Mandatory Module 12. Pleural infections 1 Parapneumonic effusion and empyema Mandatory 2 Pleuritis Mandatory 2.1 tuberculosis, bacterial, etc. Module 13. Sepsis 1 Sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock Mandatory 1.1 Virulence factors involved in sepsis 1.2 Early recognition and management 1.3 Additional therapies 1.4 Biomarkers 1.5 Clinical management Module 14. Prevention of respiratory infections 1 Vaccination Mandatory 1.1 Influenza vaccination 1.2 Pneumococcal vaccination 1.3 Other vaccinations 2 Other prevention measures Optional 2.1 Smoking cessation 2.2 Specific preventive management 2.3 Prevention of community-acquired pneumonia 2.4 Dental care 2.5 Aspiration management 3 Infection control Mandatory 3.1 Infection surveillance 3.2 Universal precautions 3.3 Isolation and reverse isolation, including specific microbes in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis (e.g. Pseudomonas) 3.4 Infectious risks to healthcare workers 3.5 Tuberculosis control and elimination, including Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine 3.6 Immunomodulants (synthetic and microbial)
Vol 14 Issue 4
Table of Contents
ERS syllabus for postgraduate training in respiratory infections: a guide for comprehensive training
