Skip to content
MDThesis

MD · Pulmonary Medicine

Pulmonary Medicine thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

A pulmonary medicine thesis usually rests on three instruments the department already owns: the spirometer, the chest radiograph with HRCT, and the tuberculosis register that the national programme obliges the unit to keep. That register is the single greatest advantage the specialty has, because treatment outcome is already recorded in a standard format, but it is also the commonest trap, since a patient decentralised to a peripheral unit disappears from your follow-up while remaining on the programme's books. Examiners press on spirometry quality, on whether bronchodilator reversibility was done to a stated protocol, and on how a patient was classified when the radiology and the physiology disagreed.

Topic register · 42 entries · 7 designs[6]

Read the registerPulmonary Medicine thesis help
  • NMC PGMER-2023
  • NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
  • UGC 2018 · under 10%
  • ICMR 2017 · ethics

The register

Filter, read, copy

The Pulmonary Medicine register

Authored by the practice · Not compiled from any list

Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

Feasibility in a teaching unit

Showing 42 of 42 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

  • Topic 01 / 42

    Link to this entry

    BODE index and six-minute walk distance in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Mean six-minute walk distance across BODE quartiles, with the correlation between walk distance and FEV1 per cent predicted
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a calculation using the standard deviation of walk distance

    What your unit must already have

    • a spirometer with current calibration and a technician who performs acceptable manoeuvres
    • a measured, level corridor of stated length with a stopwatch and pulse oximeter
    • the mMRC dyspnoea scale and body mass index recorded for every patient

    What derails it

    A corridor that is shorter than standard, or one where patients must weave between trolleys, systematically shortens the distance walked, so measure and mark the course once, use the same course for everyone, and record the number of turns.

  • Topic 02 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Exacerbation frequency over twelve months in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Number of moderate and severe exacerbations per patient-year by a stated definition, in relation to baseline airflow limitation
    Collection time
    18 months, enrolling in the first six
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 120–180 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a formal calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a chest clinic with patients who genuinely return for follow-up
    • a patient-held exacerbation diary plus monthly telephone contact
    • baseline post-bronchodilator spirometry on every patient

    What derails it

    Exacerbations treated at a local chemist or a nearby clinic never reach your records, and those are the majority of moderate events, so define an exacerbation by a symptom-plus-treatment rule captured in the diary rather than by hospital visits.

  • Topic 03 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Inhaler technique errors among patients on inhaled therapy for obstructive airway disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion making at least one critical error on a device-specific checklist, by device type
    Collection time
    8 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200–300 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • device-specific technique checklists with critical steps marked in advance
    • placebo devices of each type used in the clinic
    • one or two trained observers scoring every demonstration

    What derails it

    Patients who have just been coached in the waiting area will perform correctly, so observe the technique before any counselling at that visit and record how long it has been since the last demonstration, or you will be measuring your own teaching.

  • Topic 04 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Agreement between the COPD Assessment Test and the mMRC dyspnoea scale for GOLD group assignment

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion assigned to a different GOLD group by each instrument, reported with a kappa statistic
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 150–220 patients, subject to a calculation for the agreement you wish to estimate

    What your unit must already have

    • the assessment test in the local language with documented translation and permission
    • post-bronchodilator spirometry and a recorded exacerbation history
    • interviewers trained to administer the instrument without prompting answers

    What derails it

    Both instruments are self-reported and the interviewer's phrasing of the dyspnoea question steers the answer, so script the questions word for word in the local language and have the same interviewer administer both, recording who did it.

  • Topic 05 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Depressive symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessed by the PHQ-9

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion scoring above the stated PHQ-9 cut-off, in relation to airflow limitation and mMRC grade
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 150–220 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • the PHQ-9 in the local language with documented translation
    • a psychiatry referral pathway for those scoring in the severe range or reporting self-harm thoughts
    • spirometry and dyspnoea grading at the same visit

    What derails it

    Item nine asks about thoughts of self-harm and a positive answer creates an immediate duty of care, so agree the referral route with psychiatry in writing before the ethics submission rather than improvising at the first positive response.

  • Topic 06 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Change in six-minute walk distance after a supervised eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Mean change in six-minute walk distance from baseline to the end of the programme, compared with patients receiving usual advice
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–60 per group, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of walk distance change

    What your unit must already have

    • a physiotherapy department able to supervise sessions on a fixed timetable
    • a rehabilitation space with the equipment the protocol specifies
    • ethics approval, with trial registration if allocation is randomised

    What derails it

    Attendance is the study: patients who travel from outside the city will not come twice a week for eight weeks, so restrict enrolment by travel time, record sessions attended, and define in advance the minimum attendance that counts as having received the programme.

  • Topic 07 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure above the stated threshold, across severity categories of airflow limitation
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • echocardiography with a reporter willing to estimate pulmonary pressures consistently
    • post-bronchodilator spirometry for severity grading
    • arterial blood gas or at least resting oximetry recorded at the same visit

    What derails it

    A hyperinflated chest makes the tricuspid regurgitant jet difficult to obtain and the study is frequently reported as inadequate, so record the proportion of non-diagnostic echocardiograms as a result rather than quietly dropping those patients.

  • Topic 08 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Non-invasive ventilation in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: predictors of failure

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion needing intubation or dying during the admission, in relation to baseline pH, pCO2 and the one-hour response
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 100–150 patients started on non-invasive ventilation, subject to a formal calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • non-invasive ventilators with a range of working masks in the ward or respiratory care area
    • arterial blood gas at baseline, one hour and four hours
    • nursing staff experienced enough to keep the mask in place overnight

    What derails it

    The one-hour gas is the pivot of the analysis and it is the sample most often skipped when the patient is restless or the mask is being adjusted, so make it a standing order with a named person responsible on each shift.

  • Topic 09 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared with smokers without airflow obstruction

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D compared between patients with airflow obstruction and smokers with normal spirometry
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50–80 per group, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of the assay

    What your unit must already have

    • 25-hydroxyvitamin D assay through one laboratory throughout
    • spirometry on every participant including controls, to confirm the control definition
    • a control route among smokers attending for unrelated complaints

    What derails it

    Vitamin D values swing with the season and sun exposure, so if cases are recruited in winter and controls in summer the comparison is about the calendar; enrol both groups in parallel throughout the year and record the month for every sample.

  • Topic 10 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Asthma Control Test score and spirometric bronchodilator reversibility in adults with asthma

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with uncontrolled asthma by the stated test cut-off, and the relation of control score to per cent reversibility in FEV1
    Collection time
    9 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 150–220 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a spirometer with a bronchodilator reversibility protocol fixed in writing
    • the control test in the local language with permission to use it
    • a washout rule for patients who used a reliever before attending

    What derails it

    Patients reach the clinic having taken salbutamol in the auto-rickshaw, which abolishes reversibility, so ask about the last reliever dose at registration and either defer testing or record the interval for every patient.

  • Topic 11 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Adherence to inhaled corticosteroid therapy and asthma control over six months

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with controlled asthma at six months by the stated instrument, in relation to adherence measured by canister weight or dose counter
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 100–150 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a formal calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • devices with dose counters or a weighing method agreed in advance
    • a follow-up clinic with a recall system
    • a dispensing record if inhalers are supplied by the hospital

    What derails it

    Canister weighing only works if the patient brings the same device back, and many buy a second inhaler locally when the first runs short, so ask about all devices in use and record every purchase outside the hospital.

  • Topic 12 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Aeroallergen sensitisation pattern on skin prick testing in adults with allergic asthma

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with a positive reaction to each tested allergen by a stated wheal criterion
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proportion calculation per allergen

    What your unit must already have

    • a validated allergen extract panel with stock kept within its expiry
    • antihistamine washout enforced before testing, with a written schedule
    • resuscitation facilities and a trained observer present during testing

    What derails it

    A patient who took cetirizine the previous night will test negative to everything, and most of these patients take it regularly, so fix the washout period, confirm it at the door, and turn away patients who did not follow it rather than testing them anyway.

  • Topic 13 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Treatment outcome of drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis under the national programme

    DesignCohortFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with each programme-defined outcome at the end of treatment, including cure, treatment completed, loss to follow-up and death
    Collection time
    18 months, enrolling in the first six
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 200–300 patients, subject to a calculation against the unfavourable outcome proportion assumed

    What your unit must already have

    • access to the programme treatment register and the patient-wise boxes
    • the district tuberculosis officer's permission and a data sharing understanding
    • a follow-up route for patients decentralised to peripheral units

    What derails it

    Patients are moved to a treatment unit near their home within weeks of diagnosis, after which your unit sees nothing, so secure the programme linkage for outcome retrieval at the protocol stage; without it the loss to follow-up column will swamp your results.

  • Topic 14 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Adverse drug events during the all-oral longer regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion experiencing each pre-defined adverse event requiring drug modification, with the time to onset
    Collection time
    18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60–100 patients on the regimen, governed by how many your centre initiates

    What your unit must already have

    • a drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment centre initiating patients regularly
    • audiometry, electrocardiography and biochemistry available on the monitoring schedule
    • a pharmacovigilance reporting format and a causality assessment method stated in advance

    What derails it

    Scheduled monitoring such as audiometry and a QT-interval electrocardiogram is where this study fails, because patients skip the visit once they feel better, so arrange the tests on the same day as drug collection and record every missed assessment.

  • Topic 15 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Treatment outcome of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis at a nodal centre over recent years

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with each programme-defined outcome, with the time to culture conversion where recorded
    Collection time
    4 to 6 months of record review
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 150–300 records, depending on the centre's registration volume

    What your unit must already have

    • a nodal drug-resistant tuberculosis centre with retrievable registers
    • written permission from the programme authority for record access
    • ethics committee waiver of consent for record review

    What derails it

    Culture conversion dates are recorded only when the sample reached the reference laboratory and the result came back, and that chain breaks often, so count how many records carry a usable conversion date before you make it an objective.

  • Topic 16 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Xpert MTB/RIF compared with sputum smear microscopy against culture in presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of each test against mycobacterial culture as the reference standard
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200–300 presumptive cases, driven by the expected sensitivity and the culture-positive proportion

    What your unit must already have

    • a laboratory performing liquid or solid culture, in house or by a formal referral
    • nucleic acid amplification testing with a documented specimen pathway
    • a sputum collection protocol specifying quality and volume

    What derails it

    Culture as reference means a transport chain with cold storage and a contamination rate, and contaminated cultures are unusable, so agree the referral arrangement and the acceptable contamination threshold with the laboratory before enrolment.

  • Topic 17 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Nucleic acid amplification testing on pleural fluid for tuberculous pleural effusion, against a composite reference standard

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of the pleural fluid assay against a pre-specified composite reference of histopathology, culture and response to treatment
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 90–140 patients with exudative effusion, driven by the expected sensitivity

    What your unit must already have

    • pleural biopsy capability, whether closed needle or thoracoscopic
    • histopathology and mycobacterial culture on pleural tissue
    • a written composite reference standard agreed with pathology and microbiology

    What derails it

    The yield on pleural fluid is low and the composite reference needs a treatment response assessment at two months, so patients who default after diagnosis become unclassifiable; build the two-month review into the protocol and consent.

  • Topic 18 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Bidirectional screening for diabetes among patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with diabetes or prediabetes by a stated glycaemic criterion applied at the time of tuberculosis diagnosis
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 250–350 newly diagnosed patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • fasting glucose and HbA1c available for every enrolled patient
    • a tuberculosis diagnostic register identifying new patients promptly
    • a referral route to the medicine OPD for those found to have diabetes

    What derails it

    Glycaemia at diagnosis is disturbed by acute illness and by the first weeks of treatment, so fix the timing relative to treatment initiation, use a confirmatory test before labelling anyone diabetic, and state that stress hyperglycaemia cannot be excluded on a single value.

  • Topic 19 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Nutritional status at diagnosis and weight change at the end of the intensive phase in pulmonary tuberculosis

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Mean change in body mass index from diagnosis to the end of the intensive phase, by baseline nutritional category
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150–220 patients, subject to a calculation using the standard deviation of weight change

    What your unit must already have

    • a single calibrated weighing scale and stadiometer used throughout
    • the tuberculosis register to identify and recall patients at the two-month review
    • documentation of any nutritional support scheme the patient received

    What derails it

    The two-month weight is taken on whichever scale is free in the clinic, and the difference between two scales is larger than the weight change you are measuring, so designate one scale, keep it in one place, and check it weekly against a known weight.

  • Topic 20 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Treatment adherence during the daily regimen for pulmonary tuberculosis and the factors recorded alongside it

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion taking at least the stated proportion of scheduled doses over the intensive phase, measured by pill count and the treatment card
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 150–220 patients, subject to a calculation against the adherence proportion assumed

    What your unit must already have

    • access to treatment cards and patient-wise boxes for pill counting
    • a structured interview covering alcohol use, travel distance and daily wage loss
    • permission from the programme authority to interview registered patients

    What derails it

    A patient will bring the box with the right number of empty blisters because the blisters were emptied the night before the visit, so pair the pill count with an unannounced home or telephone verification on a subsample and report the two figures separately.

  • Topic 21 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Spirometry and six-minute walk distance in patients who have completed treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of spirometric patterns, with mean six-minute walk distance by pattern
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation for the least common pattern

    What your unit must already have

    • a register of patients who have completed treatment, with contact details
    • spirometry with a bronchodilator reversibility protocol
    • a marked walk course and pulse oximeter

    What derails it

    Patients who have finished treatment feel discharged and do not return for a research visit, so recruitment needs telephone recall with a reason the patient values, such as a free lung function check, and you must record how many of those called actually came.

  • Topic 22 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Biochemical and cytological profile of pleural effusions evaluated in a chest unit

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion classified as exudative by Light's criteria, with the distribution of final aetiological diagnoses
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 150–220 patients, subject to a proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • pleural fluid protein, LDH, glucose, cell count and cytology available routinely
    • paired serum samples drawn on the same day
    • ultrasound guidance for aspiration in loculated effusions

    What derails it

    Light's criteria require a same-day serum protein and LDH, and the serum sample is the one forgotten when the tap is done urgently, so make the paired serum part of the aspiration order set or a third of your cases will be unclassifiable.

  • Topic 23 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Diagnostic yield of medical thoracoscopy in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion in whom thoracoscopic biopsy yielded a specific histopathological diagnosis
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 50–90 patients, governed by how many thoracoscopies your unit performs in a year

    What your unit must already have

    • a thoracoscope with a trained operator and a procedure room with monitoring
    • histopathology reporting pleural biopsies with a stated turnaround
    • a pre-defined pathway establishing when a patient is declared undiagnosed after initial tests

    What derails it

    Thoracoscopy volume in most teaching units is a handful a month and is concentrated with one consultant, so confirm the actual number done in the last two years from the procedure register before you build an eighteen-month study on it.

  • Topic 24 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase for tuberculous pleural effusion against a composite reference standard

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase at a stated cut-off against the pre-specified composite reference
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120–180 patients with exudative effusion, driven by the expected sensitivity

    What your unit must already have

    • adenosine deaminase assay in house or through a single laboratory with a stated method
    • a composite reference standard written into the protocol
    • cytology and culture on every sample

    What derails it

    The cut-off depends on the assay method and the laboratory, so quoting a value from a paper that used a different kit makes the whole analysis unstable; fix your laboratory, record the method, and plan to report a ROC-derived cut-off for your own setting.

  • Topic 25 / 42

    Link to this entry

    High-resolution CT pattern and pulmonary function in patients with interstitial lung disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Mean forced vital capacity per cent predicted across radiological pattern categories assigned by a blinded reporter
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 80–130 patients, subject to a calculation using the standard deviation of forced vital capacity

    What your unit must already have

    • high-resolution CT with a radiologist willing to use a fixed pattern classification
    • spirometry with acceptable manoeuvres in breathless patients
    • a multidisciplinary route for assigning the clinical diagnosis

    What derails it

    Pattern classification varies between radiologists more than residents expect, so agree a written classification, have two readers score a subset independently, and report their agreement instead of relying on the routine report line.

  • Topic 26 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Exertional desaturation on the six-minute walk test in interstitial lung disease and its relation to lung function

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion desaturating below the stated threshold during the walk test, in relation to forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity where available
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 70–110 patients, subject to a proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a marked walk course with continuous pulse oximetry rather than spot readings
    • diffusing capacity measurement if it is to be part of the objective, which many units lack
    • oxygen and a resuscitation trolley available during testing

    What derails it

    Continuous oximetry during walking needs a probe that stays on a moving finger, and spot readings taken when the patient stops miss the nadir entirely, so use a recording oximeter and state how the nadir was captured.

  • Topic 27 / 42

    Link to this entry

    STOP-BANG questionnaire against polysomnography for obstructive sleep apnoea

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire at a stated cut-off against the apnoea-hypopnoea index on polysomnography
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 120–180 patients, driven by the expected sensitivity and the proportion with sleep apnoea among those referred

    What your unit must already have

    • a sleep laboratory able to run studies several nights a week for the whole period
    • a technician who can score studies by a stated rule set
    • the questionnaire administered before the study by someone blinded to the result

    What derails it

    One polysomnography bed means roughly twenty studies a month at best, and failed or short studies are common, so calculate your sample from bed-nights actually available rather than from the number of patients in the waiting list.

  • Topic 28 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea in patients with hypertension using a questionnaire and overnight oximetry

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an oxygen desaturation index above the stated threshold on overnight oximetry, among those screening positive on the questionnaire
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150–250 patients screened, with oximetry in the screen-positive group; refine by proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • recording pulse oximeters that can be taken home, in sufficient number
    • the Epworth or STOP-BANG instrument in the local language
    • software to compute the desaturation index from the recording

    What derails it

    Home oximetry recordings fail when the probe falls off or the patient removes it, and the failure rate is high on the first night, so plan for repeat nights, state the minimum analysable recording time, and report how many recordings were discarded.

  • Topic 29 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy at three months in newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion using the device for at least the stated number of hours on at least the stated proportion of nights, read from device data
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 60–100 patients starting therapy, governed by how many your unit initiates

    What your unit must already have

    • a sleep service that actually initiates therapy rather than only diagnosing
    • devices with downloadable usage data, or a machine supplier willing to share reports
    • a three-month review visit built into the service

    What derails it

    Cost decides adherence more than anything clinical, and many patients never buy the machine after diagnosis, so record the purchase decision as a study outcome in its own right instead of dropping non-purchasers and reporting only users.

  • Topic 30 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Daytime hypercapnia in obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an arterial pCO2 above the stated threshold on daytime room-air blood gas, by body mass index category
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80–130 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • arterial blood gas analysis with a stated sampling protocol on room air
    • a sleep service or a clinic seeing obese patients with sleep-disordered breathing
    • spirometry to exclude significant obstruction or restriction by a stated rule

    What derails it

    An arterial sample taken while the patient is hyperventilating from the needle prick reads low, so allow a settling period, use local anaesthetic, and record whether the patient had received oxygen in the preceding hour.

  • Topic 31 / 42

    Link to this entry

    CURB-65 score at admission and in-hospital outcome in community-acquired pneumonia

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    In-hospital mortality and need for intensive care, in relation to the admission CURB-65 score
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 180–280 admissions so that enough events accrue, subject to a formal calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a ward admitting pneumonia directly with radiographic confirmation
    • urea, respiratory rate and blood pressure recorded at admission
    • a written definition of intensive care need, since bed availability confounds it

    What derails it

    Whether a patient reaches the intensive care unit in a government hospital depends on whether a bed exists that night, so report the clinical indication for intensive care separately from actual admission or the outcome measures bed supply.

  • Topic 32 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Microbiological yield in community-acquired pneumonia and its influence on antibiotic change

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an organism identified from sputum or blood, and the proportion in whom the antibiotic was changed on the basis of the result
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 180–250 admissions, subject to a proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • microbiology processing sputum with a quality assessment such as a Gram stain screen
    • blood culture bottles available for every admission
    • drug charts retrievable to document antibiotic changes

    What derails it

    The first antibiotic dose is usually given before anyone thinks of the sputum sample, and the yield falls once it has been given, so record the interval between the first dose and the sample for every patient and analyse yield by that interval.

  • Topic 33 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Outcome of intercostal drainage in parapneumonic effusion and empyema

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion achieving radiological and clinical resolution with drainage alone, and the proportion referred for surgical intervention
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 70–110 patients, subject to a calculation against the expected proportion needing surgery

    What your unit must already have

    • ultrasound to guide drain placement and assess loculation
    • a thoracic or general surgery unit willing to accept referrals
    • a written definition of drainage failure with a time limit

    What derails it

    Referral for surgery depends on when the surgeon is persuaded rather than on a fixed rule, so define failure in the protocol with objective criteria and a deadline, otherwise your main outcome reflects inter-departmental habit.

  • Topic 34 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Clinico-radiological profile and histological subtype at presentation in primary lung cancer

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of histological subtypes with the radiological stage category at first presentation
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80–130 patients, governed by the unit's referral pattern

    What your unit must already have

    • bronchoscopy or image-guided biopsy capability with pathology support
    • contrast CT of the thorax for every patient
    • a written staging approach acknowledging which investigations were not available

    What derails it

    Complete staging often needs imaging your unit does not have, so write the staging objective around what you can actually do, describe it as radiological stage by available investigations, and do not claim a full TNM stage you cannot assign.

  • Topic 35 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Diagnostic yield of bronchoalveolar lavage in non-resolving pneumonia

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion in whom lavage provided a specific microbiological or cytological diagnosis that changed management
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 70–110 patients, subject to a proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a bronchoscopy suite with a trained operator and a fixed lavage protocol
    • microbiology and cytology accepting lavage samples with a stated processing pathway
    • a written definition of non-resolving pneumonia with a time criterion

    What derails it

    Lavage volume and return vary with the operator and the patient's cough, and a poor return gives a false negative, so record instilled and recovered volumes for every procedure and pre-specify the minimum return you will accept as adequate.

  • Topic 36 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Diagnostic yield of conventional transbronchial needle aspiration in mediastinal lymphadenopathy

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with a specific cytological diagnosis from the aspirate, against subsequent definitive diagnosis where available
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50–90 patients, governed by how many such procedures your unit performs

    What your unit must already have

    • a bronchoscopy service performing needle aspiration with an experienced operator
    • a cytopathologist willing to report aspirates with a stated adequacy criterion
    • CT thorax localising the nodal station before the procedure

    What derails it

    Yield without endobronchial ultrasound depends heavily on nodal station and operator, so state the stations sampled for every case and accept that the study describes your unit's practice rather than the test in general.

  • Topic 37 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Nicotine dependence by the Fagerstrom test and previous quit attempts among smokers attending a chest OPD

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of dependence categories, with the number of previous quit attempts and the methods used
    Collection time
    8 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 250–350 smokers, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • the dependence instrument in the local language with documented translation
    • a structured history of tobacco use covering bidis, cigarettes and smokeless forms separately
    • a referral route to a tobacco cessation centre if one exists

    What derails it

    Bidi and smokeless tobacco use do not map neatly onto an instrument written for cigarettes, so record quantity in locally meaningful units and state explicitly how you converted them, rather than forcing a cigarette-based score.

  • Topic 38 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Brief counselling with scheduled follow-up compared with advice alone for tobacco cessation in a chest clinic

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Self-reported abstinence at three months, confirmed where possible by an objective measure
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60–100 per group, subject to a proper calculation against the abstinence proportion assumed

    What your unit must already have

    • a counsellor or trained resident available on clinic days
    • ethics approval, with trial registration if allocation is randomised
    • a three-month follow-up route by telephone with a verification plan

    What derails it

    Self-reported abstinence at three months over the telephone is generously inflated, so plan at least a subsample verification by exhaled carbon monoxide or a witness, and say in the protocol how unverified reports will be handled.

  • Topic 39 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Spirometric abnormalities among workers exposed to occupational dust attending an occupational health camp

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an obstructive or restrictive spirometric pattern by stated criteria, in relation to years of exposure
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    about 200–300 workers, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a portable spirometer that holds calibration outside the laboratory
    • employer or union cooperation to access workers during working hours
    • a structured occupational history with exposure duration and use of protection

    What derails it

    Workers fear that an abnormal result will cost them their job, so effort on the manoeuvre is deliberately variable and some will not attend at all; agree confidentiality terms in writing, report results to the worker privately, and record participation refusals.

  • Topic 40 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Clinico-radiological profile and exacerbation frequency in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of radiological extent on CT with the number of exacerbations reported in the preceding year
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80–130 patients, subject to a proportion calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • CT thorax with a radiologist applying a consistent extent score
    • sputum culture including mycobacterial testing
    • a structured exacerbation history with a recall anchor

    What derails it

    Exacerbation counts for the previous year rest on recall and patients merge episodes together, so anchor the recall to events such as festivals or hospital visits, and treat hospital-documented exacerbations as a separate, verifiable outcome.

  • Topic 41 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Agreement between pulse oximetry saturation and arterial oxygen saturation in patients on supplemental oxygen

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Bias and limits of agreement between simultaneous pulse oximetry and arterial blood gas saturation
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    around 150–250 paired measurements, driven by the limits of agreement you wish to estimate

    What your unit must already have

    • a blood gas analyser reporting measured saturation, with the method stated
    • pulse oximeters of one model, with the probe site recorded
    • paired readings taken within a stated number of minutes of each other

    What derails it

    Cold peripheries, nail polish and a restless hand all distort the oximeter reading, and these are exactly the patients who need a gas, so record probe site, perfusion and any nail coating for every pair rather than treating the readings as interchangeable.

  • Topic 42 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Airflow obstruction among non-smoking women with long-term biomass fuel exposure attending a chest OPD

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction by a stated spirometric criterion, in relation to cumulative exposure years
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200–300 women, subject to a prevalence calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility on every participant
    • a structured exposure history covering fuel type, hours of cooking and kitchen ventilation
    • a definition of non-smoking that also excludes smokeless and second-hand exposure where possible

    What derails it

    Cumulative exposure is computed from recalled years and hours of cooking, and women report these in terms of household events rather than numbers, so build the exposure history around life stages and record second-hand smoke separately.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Pulmonary Medicine register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

  • Cross-sectional

    21 topics

    One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.

  • Prospective observational

    11 topics

    Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.

  • Retrospective

    1 topic

    Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.

  • Comparative interventional

    2 topics

    Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.

  • Diagnostic accuracy

    4 topics

    An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.

  • Case-control

    1 topic

    Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.

  • Cohort

    2 topics

    A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable[2].

  • Straightforward

    12 topics

    Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.

  • Moderate

    22 topics

    Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.

  • Demanding

    8 topics

    Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

  1. Do the arithmetic

    The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.

  2. Take it to your guide

    Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins[1].

  3. Run the search yourself

    We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Pulmonary Medicine page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

  • Row-level security

    Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.

  • View-only streaming

    Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.

  • Watermarked to you

    Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.

  • Download gated

    The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.

  • Mumbai region · DPDP 2023

    Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.

  • Anonymised data only

    We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

  • NMC PGMER-2023

    The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.

  • NBEMS

    DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.

  • UGC 2018 · <10%

    The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.

  • ICMJE · Vancouver

    Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.

  • No affiliation

    We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

  • Sole author

    Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.

  • Not ghostwriting

    We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.

  • MDSoftune

    Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.

  • Every version

    Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

MDThesis is an independent academic mentorship practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the NMC, NBEMS, UGC or any university.

Free feasibility call

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

A senior doctor replies within one working day. No obligation. MD, MS, DNB, DrNB, DM, MCh, MDS and international programmes.

Request for a feasibility call

No obligation

No spam. A senior mentor replies personally. Your details stay private.

Reply within one working day · No obligation · Your details are not shared

Prefer to write to us first? Contact the practice. We mentor and edit; you remain the sole author of your thesis.

Document: Topic bank — Pulmonary Medicine · Revision 1 · Last reviewed

Issued by MDThesis, a brand of REDENN Informatics Private Limited