HERMES Adult Respiratory Medicine case studies
HERMES Adult Respiratory Medicine · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The HERMES Adult Respiratory Medicine Examination sits within the European Respiratory Society's HERMES programme of examinations and assessments, which the Society describes as helping "to set a common, high standard of knowledge amongst respiratory specialists and trainees within Europe." It is one of a family of assessments that, in the Society's words, "cater to all professional levels and cover both adult and paediatric respiratory medicine" - so the adult respiratory medicine examination is the branch aimed at physicians working in adult pulmonology rather than paediatric respiratory medicine. Because the Society presents HERMES as spanning all professional levels, candidates range from trainees approaching specialist certification to established specialists seeking external validation of their knowledge. The HERMES Adult Respiratory Medicine case studies are 5 cases and about 2,549 words.
1Poorly controlled asthma in a teacher with low adherence and eosinophilia
A 38-year-old secondary-school teacher was diagnosed with asthma at age 12. She has never smoked, but her partner smokes indoors.
592 words, about 3 min2Progressive fibrosis in an older ex-smoker with a definite UIP pattern
A 72-year-old retired welder and ex-smoker with a 30 pack-year history presents with 18 months of progressive exertional dyspnoea and dry cough. He has fine bibasal inspiratory crackles and finger clubbing.
526 words, about 3 min3Persistent breathlessness after pulmonary embolism: assessing operability
A 58-year-old woman had an unprovoked pulmonary embolism 14 months ago and has taken apixaban continuously since. She now reports progressive dyspnoea on minimal exertion, presyncope and reduced exercise tolerance.
493 words, about 2 min4Influenza-associated ARDS with refractory hypoxaemia
A 54-year-old man with type 2 diabetes presents with five days of fever, myalgia and cough and tests positive for influenza A H1N1. Within 24 hours of admission he becomes increasingly tachypnoeic and is intubated.
481 words, about 2 min5Lung adenocarcinoma with malignant pleural effusion and an EGFR mutation
A 64-year-old woman who never smoked presents with two months of cough, fatigue and weight loss. Chest radiography shows a right pleural effusion.
457 words, about 2 min