Master respiratory medicine for PLAB 1 with 80+ SBA questions covering asthma, COPD, pneumonia, PE, lung cancer, and all 30+ respiratory conditions on the GMC Content Map. Full clinical explanations and NICE guideline summaries included.
Every respiratory condition on the GMC PLAB 1 Content Map, with SBA questions, clinical explanations, and NICE guideline references.
Every question includes NICE guideline references. These are the four guidelines most frequently tested in PLAB 1 respiratory questions.
Every question maps to a specific condition on the official GMC PLAB 1 Content Map. No irrelevant content.
Every answer option explained — not just why the correct answer is right, but why each distractor is wrong.
Concise NICE guideline summaries for every condition, so you learn the evidence base alongside the questions.
Respiratory medicine is one of the highest-yield specialties in PLAB 1, typically accounting for 10–15% of the exam (approximately 18–27 questions out of 180). The GMC Content Map lists over 30 respiratory conditions that can appear, including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, PE, and lung cancer.
The highest-yield PLAB 1 respiratory topics are: asthma (acute management and stepwise therapy), COPD (GOLD staging and exacerbation management), community-acquired pneumonia (CURB-65 and antibiotic choice), pulmonary embolism (Wells score and anticoagulation), and pneumothorax (BTS algorithm). These appear in multiple sittings.
Yes. Arterial blood gas interpretation is regularly tested in PLAB 1. You should be able to identify: respiratory acidosis (raised CO2, low pH), respiratory alkalosis (low CO2, high pH), metabolic acidosis (low bicarbonate, low pH), metabolic alkalosis (high bicarbonate, high pH), and the degree of compensation. Type 1 vs Type 2 respiratory failure is also commonly tested.
The most important NICE guidelines for PLAB 1 respiratory medicine are: NG80 (asthma), NG115 (COPD), NG138 (community-acquired pneumonia), NG158 (VTE including PE), and NG122 (lung cancer referral). You do not need to memorise guideline numbers, but you must know the key management recommendations.
The most effective approach is: (1) learn the key conditions from the GMC Content Map, (2) practise SBA questions by topic focusing on management decisions (not just diagnosis), (3) review NICE guideline summaries for each condition, and (4) practise ABG interpretation separately until it becomes automatic. Respiratory questions often test the next step in management rather than the diagnosis.