Respiratory for the AANP FNP exam
Second-highest-yield system. Asthma and COPD appear on every exam. Master GINA stepwise asthma, GOLD 2026 ABE classification, and pediatric respiratory red flags. This chapter has 19 topics, a video lecture, an audio lesson, clinical scenarios, exam pearls and a quiz.
What you will learn
- Apply GINA stepwise asthma management
- Classify COPD severity using GOLD 2026 ABE groups
- Differentiate viral vs bacterial pneumonia and select first-line antibiotics
- Recognize pediatric respiratory emergencies (croup, bronchiolitis)
Topics in this chapter
- AsthmaGINA stepwise therapy, severity classification, exacerbation management, exercise-induced, asthma in pregnancy.
- COPDGOLD 2026 ABE classification, spirometry diagnosis, exacerbation management, oxygen indications, vaccinations.
- PneumoniaCAP outpatient vs inpatient, CURB-65 / PSI, organism by setting, antibiotic choice, follow-up imaging.
- Upper respiratory infectionsPharyngitis (Centor), sinusitis (when antibiotic), AOM, croup, pertussis, common cold management.
- Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19Influenza, RSV, and COVID: testing, antivirals, prophylaxis indications, vaccination schedules.
- TuberculosisLatent vs active TB, IGRA vs PPD, treatment regimens including 3HP, INH side effects, BCG and false positives.
- Lung cancer screening and nodulesUSPSTF lung cancer screening (LDCT), evaluation of pulmonary nodule, presentation patterns by histology.
- Obstructive sleep apneaSTOP-BANG screening, polysomnography, CPAP / APAP / BiPAP, oral appliances, surgical options.
- Pediatric respiratoryBronchiolitis, croup, foreign body, recurrent wheeze and asthma vs not.
- Interstitial and occupational lung diseaseSarcoidosis basics, IPF, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, occupational lung disease overview.
- Pulmonary function testsSpirometry interpretation, obstructive vs restrictive, DLCO, when to order which test, bronchodilator response.
- Pleural diseasePleural effusion (transudate vs exudate, Light criteria), pneumothorax (primary, secondary, tension), pleurisy.
- Cough and hemoptysisAcute vs subacute vs chronic cough algorithm, hemoptysis workup, life-threatening hemoptysis management.
- Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO)Asthma-COPD overlap recognition, distinct management, when to use ICS in COPD, eosinophil-guided therapy.
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)Berlin criteria, mechanical ventilation strategy, prone positioning, ECMO referral indications.
- Pulmonary embolism (respiratory presentation)PE as a respiratory emergency: Wells score risk stratification, when D-dimer helps and when it misleads, CT pulmonary angiography, classic presentation, and treatment.
- Physical exam of lung consolidationThe physical-exam fingerprint of consolidated lung: egophony, whispered pectoriloquy, increased tactile fremitus, dull percussion, and bronchial breath sounds, plus how to tell consolidation from a pleural effusion at the bedside.
- Acute carbon monoxide poisoningAcute carbon monoxide poisoning: why pulse oximetry lies, what carboxyhemoglobin does to oxygen delivery, the overstated cherry-red sign, and treatment with 100 percent oxygen and hyperbaric therapy.
- Basic chest X-ray interpretationA practical pattern-based approach to the chest X-ray for primary care: how consolidation, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and hyperinflation each look on the film and what they signal.
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Last updated November 4, 2026. Verify exam details against the official AANPCB Candidate Handbook before exam day.