Table 2

Adult Respiratory Medicine – Syllabus for trainees

Module 1. Structure and function of the respiratory system
1 Anatomy and development (including malformations)
2 Immunology and defence mechanisms
Module 2. Physiology and pulmonary function testing
1 Ventilation (theory)
2 Circulation (theory)
3 Control of breathing (theory)
4 Control of ventilation (theory)
5 Respiratory mechanics (diagnostics)
6 Gas exchange (diagnostics)
7 Arterial blood gas and acid–base status assessment (diagnostics)
8 Exercise testing (diagnostics)
9 Bronchial challenge testing (diagnostics)
10 Lung function tests (interpretation)
Module 3. Diagnostic approach
1 Symptoms
2 Signs
3 Syndrome based approach to diagnosis and differential diagnosis
Module 4. Diagnostic procedures
1 Endoscopic techniques items
 1.1 Bronchoscopy
 1.2 Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and oesophageal ultrasound (EUS)
 1.3 Thoracoscopy
2 Thoracocentesis including closed pleural biopsy
3 Imaging techniques
 3.1 Chest radiography
 3.2 Thoracic ultrasound
 3.3 Computed tomography (CT) scan
 3.4 Positron emission tomography (PET) CT
4 Assessment of airway inflammation
 4.1 Exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) and nasal nitric oxide (nNO)
 4.2 Sputum assessment
5. Basic microbiological methods
Module 5. General principles of treatment modalities and prevention measures
1 Pharmacotherapy
 1.1 Inhaled drug therapy
 1.2 Systemic pharmacotherapy
2 Immunotherapy
 2.1 Allergen-specific immunotherapy
 2.2 Lung cancer immunotherapy
3 Respiratory physiotherapy
4 Pulmonary rehabilitation
5 Palliative care
6 Oxygen therapy
7 Preventive measures
8 Smoking prevention and cessation
9 Assisted ventilation
10 Chest tube insertion
11 Advanced treatment modalities
 11.1 Endobronchial interventions
 11.2 Lung volume reduction (surgical and endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR))
 11.3 Lung transplantation
Module 6. Respiratory emergencies
1 Evaluation
2 Differential diagnosis
3 Immediate management steps
4 First-line treatment
5 Specific conditions
Module 7. Airway diseases
1 Upper airway diseases
2 Asthma
3 Bronchitis
4 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema
5 Bronchiolitis
6 Bronchiectasis
7 Rare airway diseases
8 Congenital airway disease
Module 8. Respiratory infections
1 Upper respiratory tract infections
2 Lower respiratory tract infections
3 Pleural infections
4 Lung abscess and other infections
5 Influenza, pandemics and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
6 Infections in the immunocompromised host
7 Aspiration pneumonitis
Module 9. Mycobacterial diseases
1 Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) including multidrug-resistant (MDR)/extensively drug resistant (XDR)-TB
2 Extrapulmonary TB
3 Latent tuberculous infection
4 Non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases
Module 10. Thoracic tumours
1 Lung tumours
 1.1 Lung cancer (include paraneoplastic syndromes)
 1.2 Other lung tumours
 1.3 Metastatic pulmonary tumours
 1.4 Solitary nodules
2 Pleural tumours
 2.1 Mesothelioma
 2.2 Other pleural tumours
3 Chest wall tumours
4 Mediastinal tumours
Module 11. Sleep and control of breathing disorders
1 Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
2 Central sleep apnoea syndrome
3 Hypoventilation syndromes
4 Dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome
Module 12. Respiratory failure
1 Acute respiratory failure
2 Chronic respiratory failure
Module 13. Diffuse parenchymal lung diseases
1 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
2 Sarcoidosis
3 Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias
4 Cryptogenic organising pneumonia of unknown aetiology/bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia
5 Connective tissue disease related interstitial lung disease
6 Langerhans cell histiocytosis
7 Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)
8 Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
9 Amyloidosis
10 Drug-induced disease
11 Radiation-induced disease
12 Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis
13 Acute and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia
14 Hypereosinophilic syndrome
Module 14. Pulmonary vascular diseases
1 Thromboembolic disease
2 Pulmonary hypertension
3 Vasculitis and diffuse pulmonary haemorrhage
4 Arteriovenous malformation
Module 15. Diseases of the chest wall and respiratory muscles including the diaphragm
1 Chest wall deformities
2 Neuromuscular disorders
3 Diaphragmatic disorders
Module 16. Pleural and mediastinal diseases (excluding tumours)
1 Pleural effusion
2 Pneumothorax
3 Mediastinitis
Module 17. Respiratory consequences of systemic/ extrapulmonary conditions
1 Primary immunodeficiency syndromes
2 Secondary immunodeficiency syndromes/immunosuppression
3 Cardiac disease
4 Gastrointestinal, liver and kidney disease
5 Haematological disease
6 Obesity
7 Connective tissue diseases
Module 18. Genetic disorders
1 Cystic fibrosis
2 Primary ciliary dyskinesia
3 α1-antitrypsin deficiency
4 Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome
Module 19. Occupational diseases
1 Respiratory hazards associated with occupational factors
2 Acute inhalation injuries and their possible sequelae
3 Occupational respiratory infections including in healthcare workers
4 Work-related asthma (including occupational asthma and work-exacerbated disease)
5 COPD and work
6 Interstitial lung disease (ILD) caused by inorganic agents
7 ILD caused by dusts of biological origin (including extrinsic allergic alveolitis)
8 Asbestos-related conditions other than bronchopulmonary cancer (but including mesothelioma)
9 Occupational causes of bronchopulmonary cancer
Module 20: Epidemiology, environment and lifestyle
1 Epidemiological and statistic methods for critical appraisal
2 Indoor pollution
3 Outdoor pollution
4 High-altitude and diving
5 Lifestyle (smoking, e-cigarettes, nutrition and activity)