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Opening (30 s)
"Carbon Monoxide Poisoning — give a one-line definition and the single most important immediate risk."
Model: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a leading cause of unintentional poisoning deaths worldwide — a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuels. The clinical syndrome arises because CO binds haemoglobin with an affinity approximately 240 times that of oxygen, forming carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) that both reduces oxygen-carrying capacity and shifts the o
Station 1 — Pathophysiology (2 min)
Explain the mechanism chain from cause to clinical features and one major complication.
Station 2 — Clinical diagnosis (2 min)
Classic presentation, atypical groups, named bedside signs, and what you examine for red flags.
Red flag cue: Altered consciousness, seizures, or coma — severe CO poisoning; immediate 100% oxygen via NRB and consider hyperbaric oxygen
Station 3 — Investigations (2 min)
First-line tests, definitive tests, and any named score with exact components.
Station 4 — Emergency management (3 min)
ABC priorities, first drugs with dose and route, procedures, and when to escalate to ICU/theatre.
Station 5 — Definitive / long-term care (2 min)
Stepwise definitive therapy, monitoring, complications of treatment, follow-up.
Station 6 — Special populations (2 min)
Child / pregnancy / elderly / immunocompromised / renal impairment — what changes.
Station 7 — Evidence & pitfalls (2 min)
Landmark trial or guideline name if standard; three classic exam traps.
Station 8 — Rapid-fire pearls (1 min)
Five high-yield facts a candidate must not forget under time pressure.
Examiner pass criteria
- Speaks in mechanisms and numbers, not vague lists
- Gives at least one exact dose or threshold
- Names escalation criteria
- Avoids dangerous delays (imaging when unstable, etc.)