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Books for DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care).

What DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) residents and departments actually read in 2026 — with journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you will need for your thesis and exit practical.

18Titles on the reference list
9Current-edition picks
3 yearsReading plan included
Reference reading list

The reference reading list for DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care)

These 18 titles are the standard references for Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care), drawn from the NBE DrNB curriculum and the texts Indian teaching departments work from. Each is shown with the edition in circulation now, so you can print or buy the right one first time.

  1. Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and DisordersMichael A. Grippi, Danielle E. Antin-Ozerkis, Charles S. Dela Cruz, Robert M. Kotloff, Camille N. Kotton, Allan I. Pack · 6th editionFirst title on the NBE recommended list and the main two-volume reference text.
  2. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory MedicineV. Courtney Broaddus, Joel D. Ernst, Talmadge E. King Jr., Stephen C. Lazarus, Kathleen F. Sarmiento, Michael B. Gotway · 7th editionNBE-listed companion reference used alongside Fishman's for depth in respiratory disease.
  3. Crofton and Douglas's Respiratory DiseasesAnthony Seaton, Douglas Seaton, A. Gordon Leitch · 5th editionClassic British text listed by NBE, still used for occupational lung disease and TB.
  4. Fraser and Paré's Diagnosis of Diseases of the ChestRichard S. Fraser, Neil L. Muller, Nestor L. Colman, Peter D. Pare · 4th editionNBE-listed radiology-pathology correlation reference for chest imaging.
  5. Pleural DiseasesRichard W. LightThe standard monograph on pleural effusion, empyema and pneumothorax, named by NBE.
  6. TuberculosisS. K. Sharma, Alladi MohanIndian reference on tuberculosis listed in the NBE curriculum.
  7. Atlas of Fibreoptic BronchoscopyRajendra PrasadNBE-listed Indian atlas used for bronchoscopy training and airway appearances.
  8. BronchoscopyUdaya B. S. PrakashNBE-listed bronchoscopy reference covering diagnostic and therapeutic technique.
  9. Chest Medicine: Essentials of Pulmonary and Critical Care MedicineRonald B. George, Richard W. Light, Richard A. Matthay, Michael A. MatthayListed by NBE as 'George and Light'; a mid-length text bridging pulmonology and ICU care.
  10. Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory CareJames K. Stoller, Albert J. Heuer, David L. Vines, Robert L. Chatburn, Eduardo Mireles-Cabodevila · 13th editionNBE-listed reference for oxygen therapy, aerosol delivery and ventilator support.
  11. West's Respiratory Physiology: The EssentialsJohn B. West, Andrew M. Luks · 11th editionShort physiology primer listed by NBE and required for gas-exchange questions.
  12. Marino's The ICU BookPaul L. Marino · 4th editionNBE-listed critical care text for the respiratory ICU component of training.
  13. Kryger's Principles and Practice of Sleep MedicineMeir H. Kryger, Thomas Roth, Cathy A. Goldstein · 7th editionNBE-listed reference for sleep-disordered breathing and polysomnography.
  14. Thoracic Imaging: Pulmonary and Cardiovascular RadiologyW. Richard Webb, Charles B. HigginsNBE-listed imaging text used for HRCT and cross-sectional chest interpretation.
  15. Clinical Respiratory MedicineStephen G. Spiro, Gerard A. Silvestri, Alvar AgustiNBE-listed clinically organised text arranged around presenting respiratory problems.
  16. Principles of Critical CareFarokh Erach UdwadiaNBE-listed Indian critical care text covering tropical and infective lung disease.
  17. Macleod's Clinical ExaminationJ. Alastair Innes, Anna R. Dover, Karen FairhurstNBE-listed for systematic respiratory clinical examination and case presentation.
  18. Davidson's Principles and Practice of MedicineStuart H. Ralston, Ian D. Penman, Mark W. J. Strachan, Richard P. HobsonNBE-listed general medicine text retained for systemic disease with lung involvement.

Source: NBE DrNB curriculum for Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care)

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read through, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory MedicineBroaddus, Ernst, King, Lazarus, Sarmiento, Schnapp, Stapleton, Gotway (eds) · 7th edition · core referenceThe anchor respiratory text used throughout Indian pulmonary and DM PCCM training.
  2. Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and DisordersGrippi, Antin-Ozerkis, Dela Cruz, Kotloff, Kotton, Pack (eds) · 6th edition · alternate core referenceStrong on physiology and interstitial lung disease; a common second text.
  3. Crofton and Douglas's Respiratory DiseasesSeaton, Seaton, Leitch · 5th edition · clinical referenceStill widely read in India for tuberculosis and occupational lung disease chapters.
  4. Principles and Practice of Mechanical VentilationTobin (ed) · 3rd edition · ventilation coreEssential for the critical care half of a DM in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
  5. Flexible BronchoscopyWang, Mehta, Turner (eds) · 4th edition · procedural referenceRead with Ernst's Introduction to Bronchoscopy for EBUS and interventional pulmonology.
  6. Principles and Practice of Interventional PulmonologyErnst, Herth (eds) · interventional referenceCovers EBUS, stenting, pleuroscopy and rigid bronchoscopy now standard in Indian DM units.
  7. Principles and Practice of Sleep MedicineKryger, Roth, Goldstein, Dement (eds) · 7th edition · sleep medicinePolysomnography interpretation is a standard practical station.
  8. Interpretation of Pulmonary Function Tests: A Practical GuideHyatt, Scanlon, Nakamura · 5th edition · physiology/PFTThe concise PFT text behind spirometry, DLCO and body plethysmography stations.
  9. GOLD, GINA, ATS/ERS and Indian NTEP/national TB guidelines (current)GOLD / GINA / ATS-ERS / Central TB Division, Government of India · guideline setNTEP guidance on drug-resistant TB is examined as closely as the international documents.
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years of superspecialty training goes faster than it sounds, and most of it is spent on the floor. The order below is what works for most DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Read Murray and Nadel systematically with the ward and OPD postings, master chest radiograph and HRCT patterns daily, and get PFT interpretation solid using Hyatt. Learn diagnostic bronchoscopy; register the thesis protocol.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Split reading between critical care (Tobin, ARDS and ventilation literature) and interventional pulmonology (Wang, Ernst and Herth). Work through NTEP, GOLD and GINA guidelines in detail and add Kryger during the sleep posting. Collect thesis data.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Do a second pass of Murray and Nadel or Fishman, revise all guidelines, and drill PFT, HRCT, ABG and bronchoscopy stations weekly with structured long-case practice. Submit the thesis.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • Lung India and the Indian Journal of Tuberculosis — Indian disease burden and practice data
  • India TB Report (Central TB Division) for national TB denominators
  • American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, European Respiratory Journal, Chest, Thorax
  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines (2017) and CTRI registration for interventional studies
  • ATS/ERS standardisation documents for spirometry and DLCO to keep measurements protocol-conformant
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Cases, spotters and stations that come up again and again in the exit exam.

  • Long case: ILD, COPD, bronchiectasis, drug-resistant tuberculosis or a pleural disease case
  • Short cases: pleural effusion, consolidation, collapse, chest wall deformity, obstructive sleep apnoea phenotype
  • Pulmonary function test station: spirometry, flow-volume loops, DLCO, lung volumes, bronchodilator reversibility
  • Bronchoscopy station: live flexible bronchoscopy, BAL and biopsy technique, EBUS station mapping
  • Imaging viva: chest radiograph and HRCT pattern recognition
  • Arterial blood gas, ventilator and non-invasive ventilation station
  • Sleep study interpretation and instrument viva on drains, stents, nebulisers and interfaces
About the course

DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) in context

In India this is usually offered as DM Pulmonary Medicine or DM Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, a three-year course after MD/DNB in Respiratory Medicine, General Medicine or Anaesthesiology depending on the institution; MD Pulmonary Medicine itself is the separate three-year broad-specialty course. The DM exit examination follows the NMC pattern of four theory papers of 100 marks each with clinical, practical and viva voce, and thesis acceptance is a prerequisite. The practical characteristically includes PFT interpretation, HRCT reading and a bronchoscopy station.

Frequently asked

DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) books — questions

Which books should I read for DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care)?

The titles on this page are the ones residents and departments actually use, each with the edition in circulation now. Start with the first one listed and add the references as your reading deepens.

Which single book should I start with in DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care)?

Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine by Broaddus, Ernst, King, Lazarus, Sarmiento, Schnapp, Stapleton, Gotway (eds) is the usual anchor. The anchor respiratory text used throughout Indian pulmonary and DM PCCM training.

How is DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) different from the DNB or MD version?

DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) is a superspecialty course taken after a broad-specialty MD, MS or DNB, so the reading is narrower and deeper. The broad-specialty texts are assumed knowledge by the time you start.

Do I need to buy every book listed?

No. Most residents own two or three and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does printing cost?

Black and white is 50 paise a page, colour is Rs 1 a page, and binding is Rs 40 per bound volume. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your DM Pulmonary Medicine (Respiratory/Critical Care) reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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