Free PLAB 2 Respiratory stations
Respiratory PLAB 2 stations cover breathlessness, cough, asthma and COPD. They test a focused respiratory history, red-flag screening, inhaler and lifestyle counselling, and clear explanation of the plan.
What PLAB 2 respiratory stations cover
Respiratory PLAB 2 stations cover breathlessness, cough, asthma and COPD. They test a focused respiratory history, red-flag screening, inhaler and lifestyle counselling, and clear explanation of the plan.
Topics you can practise in these stations include:
- Acute asthma exacerbation
- COPD exacerbation
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Breathlessness and weight loss
- Chronic cough and breathlessness
- Cough and breathlessness
- Breathlessness on exertion
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion and breathlessness
- Tiredness and a changed cough
- Daytime sleepiness and loud snoring
- COPD review and smoking cessation
- Asthma discharge and inhaler counselling
- Cough and coughing up blood
How to approach a respiratory station
Take a focused respiratory history, quantify the breathlessness and its impact, screen for the red flags below, and counsel on inhalers, smoking and safety-netting.
The underlying structure is the same as any PLAB 2 station: greet and confirm identity, explore the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations early, take a focused history, screen for the red flags below, explain your thinking in plain English, and agree a shared plan with clear safety-netting. See the free PLAB 2 preparation guide for the full study plan.
Red flags to screen for in respiratory stations
Examiners reward candidates who actively screen for what must not be missed. In respiratory stations, the key red flags include:
- Sudden breathlessness with pleuritic pain (PE or pneumothorax)
- Coughing up blood with weight loss
- Acute severe asthma
- Breathlessness at rest or unable to complete sentences
- A persistent cough over three weeks (lung cancer)
Skills these stations test
The 20 respiratory stations break down by skill type as:
- History and management 17
- Counselling 3
All 20 free respiratory stations
Every station below is free. Click one to sit it as an eight-minute spoken consultation, then get your mark-scheme breakdown.
History and management 17
- Acute asthma exacerbation - Ms Charlotte Aldridge, 29
- COPD exacerbation - Mr Terry Walsh, 69
- Pleuritic chest pain - Linda Ashworth, 27
- Breathlessness and weight loss - Mr Adam Redfern, 65 (suspected lung malignancy)
- Chronic cough and breathlessness - Mrs Barbara Marsden, 72
- Cough and breathlessness - Mr Ryan Calloway, 24
- Cough and breathlessness - Ms Elizabeth Hartley, 29
- Breathlessness on exertion - Mr Richard Sinclair, 22
- Shortness of breath - Jennifer Beaumont, 35
- Cough and breathlessness - Mr Allen Fenwick, 72 (sepsis from pneumonia)
- Cough and breathlessness - Mrs Karen Galbraith, 72 (sepsis from pneumonia)
- Confusion and breathlessness - Mr Albert Hawkins, 67 (chest sepsis)
- Tiredness and a changed cough - Mrs Linda Cathcart, 67 (low sodium, suspected lung cancer)
- Daytime sleepiness and loud snoring - Gareth Mostyn, 45
- Breathlessness on exertion - Mr Colin Banister, 22
- Cough and coughing up blood - Mr Raymond Holloway, 70
- Headache and dizziness - Mrs Lorna Whitfield, 41 (carbon monoxide)
Counselling 3
- COPD review and smoking cessation - Mr Trevor Yeardley, 65
- Asthma discharge and inhaler counselling - George Abberley, 22
- Demand for antibiotics with a viral cold - Mr Andrew Hartley, 27
Practise other PLAB 2 specialties
- PLAB 2 Ethical / Communication stations (62)
- PLAB 2 Obstetrics & Gynaecology stations (52)
- PLAB 2 Paediatrics stations (42)
- PLAB 2 Neurology stations (34)
- PLAB 2 Psychiatry stations (31)
- PLAB 2 Cardiovascular stations (27)
- PLAB 2 Gastrointestinal stations (27)
- PLAB 2 Dermatology stations (25)
- PLAB 2 Endocrine stations (24)
- PLAB 2 Musculoskeletal stations (20)
- PLAB 2 ENT stations (19)
- PLAB 2 Surgical stations (15)
- PLAB 2 Urology stations (15)
- PLAB 2 Medicine stations (14)
- PLAB 2 Genitourinary Medicine stations (12)
- PLAB 2 Infectious Diseases stations (11)
- PLAB 2 Haematology stations (9)
- PLAB 2 Ophthalmology stations (7)
- PLAB 2 Palliative / Pain Medicine stations (6)
- PLAB 2 Breast Surgery stations (2)
Frequently asked questions
What PLAB 2 respiratory stations come up?
Plabity's 20 free PLAB 2 respiratory stations include presentations such as acute asthma exacerbation, copd exacerbation, pleuritic chest pain, breathlessness and weight loss, chronic cough and breathlessness, cough and breathlessness, breathlessness on exertion, shortness of breath, confusion and breathlessness, tiredness and a changed cough, daytime sleepiness and loud snoring, copd review and smoking cessation, asthma discharge and inhaler counselling, cough and coughing up blood. Each runs as an eight-minute spoken consultation marked to the PLAB rubric.
Are these PLAB 2 respiratory stations free?
Yes. All 20 are free to practise. You sign up with an email address, with no card required.
How are the stations marked?
Each station is marked across the three PLAB domains: data gathering, clinical management and interpersonal skills. You get a breakdown of every criterion with quoted evidence from your own consultation, in seconds.
Practise respiratory stations free.
20 spoken respiratory cubicles, marked to the PLAB rubric. No card, no plan.
Start practising free