BoardsBridge
ABA oral-board coverage

Topics covered by serious simulations

Use this as a map for dozens of high-intensity mock orals. Coverage here means case exposure and debrief signal, not thousands of quick MCQs.

0
Orals
16
Domains
154
Topics
Cardiac Anesthesia6 subdomains · body-system
Valvular Disease

AS, MS, AR, MR, valve repair/replacement.

Severe Aortic StenosisSevere Mitral StenosisSevere Mitral Regurgitation
Ischemic Heart Disease

CAD, post-MI, CABG, PCI, stent management.

On-pump CABGOff-pump CABGRecent stent on antiplatelet
Adult Congenital Heart Disease

ASD, VSD, repaired TOF, Eisenmenger (adult anesthesiologist scope).

Repaired Tetralogy of FallotEisenmenger syndrome
Heart Failure & Cardiomyopathy

HFrEF, HFpEF, HCM, pericardial disease.

Severe HFrEF (EF <30%)Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmias & Devices

Afib, SVT, VT, pacemaker, ICD, ablation, LVAD.

ICD / pacemaker at ERILVAD for non-cardiac surgery
Great Vessels & Pericardium

Aortic dissection, tamponade, pericardial effusion.

Cardiac TamponadeType A Aortic Dissection
Neuroanesthesia5 subdomains · body-system
Intracranial Surgery

Tumor, aneurysm, AVM, supratentorial.

Cerebral aneurysm clippingSupratentorial tumor resection
Posterior Fossa Surgery

Sitting VAES, tumor, microvascular decompression.

Sitting position VAESMicrovascular decompression (MVD)
Spine Surgery

Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, prone, IOM monitoring.

Prone spine with IOMCervical spine surgery
Neurointerventional

Coiling, mechanical thrombectomy, stroke.

Mechanical thrombectomyEndovascular aneurysm coiling
Traumatic Brain Injury

TBI, ICP management, multimodality monitoring.

Refractory ICPEmergent TBI craniotomy
Obstetric Anesthesia5 subdomains · body-system
Cesarean Delivery

Elective, urgent, emergent cesarean.

Elective repeat cesareanEmergent cesarean (cord prolapse, abruption)
Labor Analgesia

Epidural, CSE, remifentanil PCA.

Epidural in coagulopathyHigh spinal/epidural block
Preeclampsia & Hypertensive Disorders

Preeclampsia, eclampsia, HELLP, MAGPI.

Preeclampsia with severe features → C/SHELLP syndrome
Obstetric Hemorrhage

PPH, placenta accreta spectrum, abruption.

PPH with placenta accretaPlacental abruption
Non-Obstetric Surgery in Pregnancy

Trauma in pregnancy, appendectomy in pregnancy.

Trauma in pregnancyAppendectomy in pregnant patient
Regional Anesthesia5 subdomains · body-system
Upper-Extremity Blocks

Interscalene, supraclavicular, infraclavicular, axillary.

Interscalene with phrenic involvementUltrasound-guided supraclavicular
Lower-Extremity Blocks

Femoral, adductor canal, sciatic (popliteal), IPACK.

Femoral block on anticoagulantPopliteal sciatic block
Truncal Blocks

TAP, QL, ESP, rectus sheath, ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric.

TAP for laparotomyErector spinae plane (ESP) block
Neuraxial (Spinal / Epidural / CSE)

Spinal, epidural, combined spinal-epidural.

Spinal anesthesia hypotensionEpidural hematoma concern
Chronic & Cancer-Pain Blocks

Celiac, stellate ganglion, lumbar sympathetic.

Celiac plexus block for pancreatic cancer
Pain Medicine4 subdomains · body-system
Acute Postoperative Pain

Multimodal, opioid-sparing, ERAS protocols.

Opioid-sparing ERAS protocol
Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

Low back, neuropathic, CRPS, fibromyalgia.

CRPS — stellate ganglion block
Cancer Pain

WHO ladder, interventional, palliative.

Bone metastases pain
Substance Use & Opioid Stewardship

Methadone maintenance, buprenorphine, opioid stewardship.

Patient on methadone maintenance
Critical Care Medicine5 subdomains · body-system
Shock States

Hypovolemic, septic, cardiogenic, obstructive, distributive.

Septic shock — source controlCardiogenic shock post-MI
Respiratory Failure

ARDS, vent management, weaning, ECMO.

ARDS — prone ventilationVA ECMO post-cardiotomy
Sepsis & Multi-Organ Dysfunction

SOFA, qSOFA, bundle compliance, MODS.

Neurocritical Care

TBI, SAH, ICP, vasospasm.

SAH with vasospasm
Post-Arrest Targeted Temperature Management

TTM, ACLS, prognostication.

TTM and prognostication
Airway Management4 subdomains · body-system
Difficult Airway Algorithm

ASA DA algorithm, awake vs asleep, FONA.

DA algorithm + cervical instability
Emergency Airway

CICO, crash airway, surgical airway.

CICO → FONA
Extubation Risk

At-risk extubation, Bailey maneuver, staged extubation.

Airway Monitoring

Cuff pressures, leak tests, ETT depth.

Thoracic Anesthesia4 subdomains · body-system
One-Lung Ventilation

DLT, bronchial blockers, lung isolation.

DLT for left pneumonectomy
Parathyroidectomy & Thymectomy

Myasthenia gravis, thymoma, hyperparathyroidism.

Myasthenia gravis + thymectomy
Esophageal Surgery

Esophagectomy, achalasia, POEM.

Esophagectomy
Airway Stent & Tracheal Resection

Tracheal resection, airway stenting.

Vascular Anesthesia4 subdomains · body-system
Open AAA Repair

Infrarenal / suprarenal cross-clamp, hemodynamics.

Open AAA cross-clamp release
Endovascular AAA Repair (EVAR)

Spinal drain, contrast nephropathy.

EVAR with spinal drain
Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA / CAS)

CEA vs CAS, awake vs asleep, shunt decision.

Awake CEA with shunt
Thoracic Aortic Surgery

TEVAR, Crawford extent, CSF drain, spinal protection.

TEVAR with CSF drain
Trauma Anesthesia5 subdomains · body-system
Primary Survey & Resuscitation

Airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure (ABCDE).

ED airway with c-spine
Hemorrhage & Massive Transfusion

MTP, hemostatic resuscitation, acidosis.

MTP with severe acidosis
Thoracic Trauma

Chest trauma, tamponade, bronchopleural fistula.

Traumatic Brain Injury (Trauma context)

TBI in polytrauma, coagulopathy.

Polytrauma with TBI
Burns & Inhalation Injury

Airway management, fluid resuscitation (Parkland), carboxyhemoglobin.

Inhalation injury + Parkland
Pediatric Anesthesia (modifier)4 subdomains · cross-cutting
Pediatric Airway & Emergency

Pediatric DA algorithm, foreign body, croup, epiglottitis.

Foreign body → rigid bronch
Pediatric Cardiac (cross-link cardiac T1)

Pediatric cardiac anesthesia — see also aba.cardiac for adult congenital.

Pediatric Regional

Caudal, penile, ilioinguinal.

Caudal for pediatric hernia
Premedication & Separation Anxiety

Midazolam premedication, parental presence.

Pharmacology (modifier)5 subdomains · cross-cutting
Inhaled Anesthetics

MAC, uptake/distribution, age, severity.

MAC: age and severity adjustment
IV Anesthetics

Propofol, etomidate, ketamine, barbiturates.

Neuromuscular Blocking Drugs

Depolarizing, non-depolarizing, reversal (sugammadex, neostigmine).

Sugammadex in renal failure
Vasopressors & Inotropes

Phenylephrine, norepinephrine, ephedrine, epinephrine, dobutamine, milrinone.

Phenylephrine vs norepinephrine
Local Anesthetics

LAST, max doses by drug, adjuvants.

Physiology (modifier)5 subdomains · cross-cutting
Cerebral Physiology

Autoregulation, CO2 reactivity, ICP.

Cerebral autoregulation in severe AS
Cardiac Physiology

Preload, afterload, contractility, Frank-Starling.

Preload/afterload in severe AS
Respiratory Physiology

V/Q matching, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, shunt.

Renal & Electrolyte Physiology

GFR, RBF, electrolyte shifts (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+).

Hepatic Physiology

Hepatic blood flow, drug metabolism.

Monitoring (modifier)5 subdomains · cross-cutting
Arterial Line

Waveform interpretation, damping, fast-flush test.

Damped arterial waveform
Central Line

CVP waveform, placement, complications.

POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound)

IVC volume status, FAST, lung sliding.

IVC for volume status
Echocardiography (TTE / TEE)

Biventricular function, valvular lesions, pericardial effusion.

Depth of Anesthesia Monitoring

BIS, entropy, NMT (TOF).

Equipment (modifier)4 subdomains · cross-cutting
Anesthesia Machine

Checkout, leak test, ventilator mode failure.

Machine checkout with leak
Breathing Systems

Circle system, Mapleson, coaxial, low-flow.

Airway Equipment

Laryngoscopes, supraglottic airways, video laryngoscopes, FONA kits.

Infusion Pumps & TIVA

TCI, TIVA, pump safety.

Ethics & Medicolegal (modifier)5 subdomains · cross-cutting
DNR in the OR

Patient refuses / policy interpretation / suspension.

DNR — patient refuses to suspend
Jehovah's Witness

Refusal of blood products, minors, emergency.

Massive bleeding with JW refusal
Informed Consent

Capacity, disclosure, surrogates, high-risk surgery.

Informed consent for high-risk surgery
End-of-Life & Palliative

Withdrawal of care, palliative extubation, brain death.

Disclosure of Error

Honest disclosure, institutional response, apology.

After each completed oral, use the debrief to mark weak domains. The MCQ diagnostic is deliberately delayed until the product has heard you reason through real oral cases.