ABP Pediatric Pulmonology study plan

Differentiate asthma from its major pediatric mimics (vocal cord dysfunction, tracheobronchomalacia, aspirated foreign body, primary ciliary dyskinesia) using history, exam, and spirometric pattern.

Map the stepwise controller ladder for ages 0-4, 5-11, and 12 years and older, naming the symptom frequency that triggers each step-up and step-down.

Explain how bronchial smooth muscle contraction, mucosal edema, and mucus plugging raise airway resistance and depress FEV1 during an acute exacerbation.

Construct an acute exacerbation algorithm covering severity scoring, first-line bronchodilator dosing, oxygen saturation targets, and escalation triggers to ICU.

Compare causative organisms, peak age, and first-line management for bronchiolitis, croup, community-acquired pneumonia, and pertussis.

Justify why routine bronchodilators, systemic corticosteroids, and antibiotics are not indicated in typical RSV bronchiolitis, citing the physiologic rationale for each omission.

Trace ventilation-perfusion mismatch and intrapulmonary shunt in lobar pneumonia and empyema, and predict the expected arterial blood gas and oximetry findings.

Select empiric antibiotic agent, dose, and duration for uncomplicated pneumonia in preschool versus school-age children, and state the findings that make imaging or admission necessary.

Interpret sweat chloride values, CFTR genotype results, and nasal potential difference data to classify cystic fibrosis, CFTR-related metabolic syndrome, and CFTR-related disorder.

Build a pulmonary exacerbation treatment plan that specifies airway clearance regimen, inhaled therapies, modulator eligibility, and antibiotic choice guided by prior sputum culture.

Differentiate CF-related bronchiectasis from post-infectious, ciliary, and immunodeficiency-related bronchiectasis using lobar distribution and associated extrapulmonary findings.

Design an age-stratified monitoring schedule covering spirometry, sputum culture, growth, oral glucose tolerance testing, liver imaging, and bone density.

Classify respiratory failure by type and acuity, and choose low-flow oxygen, high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation, or intubation with a stated rationale for each choice.

Set initial ventilator settings for a child with severe obstructive asthma versus a child with ARDS, defending tidal volume, PEEP, and permissive hypercapnia targets.

Calculate and interpret the PF ratio, oxygenation index, and alveolar-arterial gradient, and use them to grade severity and track response.

Outline the stepwise rescue sequence for impending respiratory failure caused by upper airway obstruction compared with neuromuscular weakness.

Sequence the stages of lung development and link each stage to the congenital lesion that arises when it is disrupted, including diaphragmatic hernia, CPAM, and alveolar simplification.

Compare respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea of the newborn, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and meconium aspiration on timing of onset, mechanism, and radiographic pattern.

Apply the current bronchopulmonary dysplasia definition to assign severity, and describe prevention strategies including antenatal steroids, surfactant, caffeine, and noninvasive support.

Explain the fetal-to-neonatal circulatory transition and select indications for inhaled nitric oxide in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

Score and stage a pediatric polysomnogram from a written report using obstructive apnea-hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation index, nadir saturation, and carbon dioxide data.

Justify adenotonsillectomy versus positive airway pressure versus watchful waiting for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, and identify which children require postoperative respiratory monitoring.

Distinguish obstructive, central, and hypoventilation patterns on polysomnography and match each to causes such as obesity, Prader-Willi syndrome, and neuromuscular disease.

Interpret spirometry for obstruction versus restriction and bronchodilator response, and decide when to add bronchoprovocation, impulse oscillometry, or diffusion capacity testing in a child.

Evaluate the diagnostic performance of sweat chloride testing, nasal nitric oxide, sputum culture, and exhaled nitric oxide, stating reference thresholds and common confounders.

Apply acceptability and repeatability criteria to reject unusable spirometry tracings and judge the youngest age at which reliable testing is feasible.

Select the appropriate first-line test for chronic cough, noisy breathing, recurrent pneumonia, and suspected aspiration, and justify why alternatives are lower yield.

Re-attempt every item missed in weeks 1 through 6 and reach mastery threshold on each before closing it.

Integrate all domains by completing timed mixed blocks of 40 questions under exam conditions with no references open.

Diagnose residual weak areas from block performance and re-study only the domains scoring below 75%.

Compress high-yield numbers into a single rapid-review page covering drug doses, diagnostic thresholds, severity staging, and monitoring intervals.

Complete a full-length simulated exam and review every incorrect and guessed item with a written justification for the correct answer.