PALS PRETEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
PALS POST TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
PALS FINAL EXAM REVIEW 2024
You are caring for a child who was resuscitated after a drowning event. The child is intubated
and ventilated with 100% oxygen with equal breath sounds and exhaled CO2 detected. The heart
rate is slow and the monitor shows sinus bradycardia. The skin is cool, mottled, and moist; distal
pulses are not palpable and the central pulses are weak. Intravenous access has been established.
The core temperature is 37.3oC. Based on the PALS bradycardia algorithm, which of the
following should be provided first?
Epinephrine IV
Transcutaneous pacing
Atropine IV
Dobutamine IV infusion - Epinephrine IV
You are caring for a 5-year-old patient with supraventricular tachycardia (heart rate = 220/min).
The child is lethargic. The skin is pale and cool with delayed capillary refill. Distal pulses are not
palpable. Which of the following would be the best treatment to provide without delay?
Place cold packs on the distal upper and lower extremities
Ask the child to blow through a small straw
Exert light pressure on the eyes bilaterally
Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5 to 1 J/kg - Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5
to 1 J/kg
You are initiating treatment for a child with septic shock and hypotension. While administering
high-flow oxygen you determine that the child's respirations are adequate and SpO2 is 100%.
You have just established vascular access and obtained blood samples. Which of the following is
the next most appropriate therapy to support systemic perfusion?
Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic colloid
Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid
,Begin immediate dopamine infusion
Begin immediate dobutamine infusion - Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid
You are treating an 8-year-old with ventricular tachycardia with pulses and adequate perfusion.
You attempted synchronized cardioversion without success. While seeking expert consultation, it
would be most appropriate to:
Administer a loading dose of milrinone
Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes
Initiate overdrive pacing transcutaneously
Deliver an unsynchronized shock - Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes
You are caring for a 2-year-old unconscious patient who is intubated and receiving mechanical
ventilation. The child's heart rate suddenly drops to 40/min and his color becomes mottled. You
should respond to these changes by:
Increasing the ventilator rate
Increasing tidal volume
Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)
Using a resuscitation bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen - Using a resuscitation
bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen
You are caring for a 9-month-old patient with pronounced respiratory distress. You initiated
high-flow oxygen using a nonrebreathing mask about 10 minutes ago and established
intravenous access. Initially the infant's heart rate was in the 150/min range with strong pulses.
Suddenly the infant's respiratory rate falls to 6/min with significant intercostals retractions, and
little air movement is heard. The infant becomes cyanotic and the heart rate decreases to 95/min.
Which of the following treatments would be best for you to provide now?
Administer epinephrine IV
Provide bag-mask ventilation
Administer magnesium sulfate IV
Intubate and ventilate - Provide bag-mask ventilation
Which of the following is likely to be the most helpful technique to identify potentially
reversible metabolic and toxic causes during the attempted resuscitation of a young child in
cardiac arrest?
Obtaining a urine sample for toxicology screen
Obtaining chest and abdominal radiographs
Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family
Obtaining a venous blood gas - Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family
You are caring for a patient who developed a tension pneumothorax after several hours of
positive-pressure ventilation. Which of the following would be the most appropriate site for
needle decompression?
, Over the third rib at the midclavicular line
Under the eighth rib at the midaxillary line
Over the fifth rib at the sternal border
Under the sixth rib at the midclavicular line - Over the third rib at the midclavicular line
You attempted synchronized cardioversion for an infant with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
and poor perfusion. The SVT persists after the initial 1 J/kg shock. Which of the following
should you attempt now?
Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg
Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg
Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg
Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg - Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2
J/kg
You are treating a 5-month-old with a 2-day history of vomiting and diarrhea. The patient is
listless. The respiratory rate is 52/min and unlabored. The heart rate is 170/min and pulses are
present but weak. Capillary refill is delayed. You are administering high-flow oxygen, and
intravenous access is in place. At this point the most important therapy is to:
Administer an epinephrine bolus
Begin bag-mask ventilation
Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid bolus
Administer a bolus of 0.5 g/kg of dextrose - Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid
bolus
Which of the following groups of clinical findings would be most consistent with categorizing a
patient with compensated shock?
Normal systolic blood pressure, decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed
capillary refill, and faint or nonpalpable distal pulses
Decreased level of consciousness, extensor posturing in response to pain, hypertension, and
apnea
Normal blood pressure, normal level of consciousness, bounding distal pulses, hypercarbia,
hypoxemia, and normal urine output
Unresponsiveness, normal breathing, and good distal pulses - Normal systolic blood pressure,
decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed capillary refill, and faint or
nonpalpable distal pulses
You are treating a 10-year-old patient after a motor vehicle crash. The patient is unresponsive
and flexes his arms at the elbow in response to a painful stimulus. An endotracheal tube is in
place with position confirmed. You are ventilating using a resuscitation bag with oxygen, and the
child has an SPO2 of 95% and good chest excursion bilaterally. The blood pressure is 130/70
mm Hg, and the heart rate is 90/min with good perfusion. You have established intravenous
access. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate at this time?
ANSWERS
PALS POST TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
PALS FINAL EXAM REVIEW 2024
You are caring for a child who was resuscitated after a drowning event. The child is intubated
and ventilated with 100% oxygen with equal breath sounds and exhaled CO2 detected. The heart
rate is slow and the monitor shows sinus bradycardia. The skin is cool, mottled, and moist; distal
pulses are not palpable and the central pulses are weak. Intravenous access has been established.
The core temperature is 37.3oC. Based on the PALS bradycardia algorithm, which of the
following should be provided first?
Epinephrine IV
Transcutaneous pacing
Atropine IV
Dobutamine IV infusion - Epinephrine IV
You are caring for a 5-year-old patient with supraventricular tachycardia (heart rate = 220/min).
The child is lethargic. The skin is pale and cool with delayed capillary refill. Distal pulses are not
palpable. Which of the following would be the best treatment to provide without delay?
Place cold packs on the distal upper and lower extremities
Ask the child to blow through a small straw
Exert light pressure on the eyes bilaterally
Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5 to 1 J/kg - Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5
to 1 J/kg
You are initiating treatment for a child with septic shock and hypotension. While administering
high-flow oxygen you determine that the child's respirations are adequate and SpO2 is 100%.
You have just established vascular access and obtained blood samples. Which of the following is
the next most appropriate therapy to support systemic perfusion?
Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic colloid
Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid
,Begin immediate dopamine infusion
Begin immediate dobutamine infusion - Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid
You are treating an 8-year-old with ventricular tachycardia with pulses and adequate perfusion.
You attempted synchronized cardioversion without success. While seeking expert consultation, it
would be most appropriate to:
Administer a loading dose of milrinone
Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes
Initiate overdrive pacing transcutaneously
Deliver an unsynchronized shock - Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes
You are caring for a 2-year-old unconscious patient who is intubated and receiving mechanical
ventilation. The child's heart rate suddenly drops to 40/min and his color becomes mottled. You
should respond to these changes by:
Increasing the ventilator rate
Increasing tidal volume
Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)
Using a resuscitation bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen - Using a resuscitation
bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen
You are caring for a 9-month-old patient with pronounced respiratory distress. You initiated
high-flow oxygen using a nonrebreathing mask about 10 minutes ago and established
intravenous access. Initially the infant's heart rate was in the 150/min range with strong pulses.
Suddenly the infant's respiratory rate falls to 6/min with significant intercostals retractions, and
little air movement is heard. The infant becomes cyanotic and the heart rate decreases to 95/min.
Which of the following treatments would be best for you to provide now?
Administer epinephrine IV
Provide bag-mask ventilation
Administer magnesium sulfate IV
Intubate and ventilate - Provide bag-mask ventilation
Which of the following is likely to be the most helpful technique to identify potentially
reversible metabolic and toxic causes during the attempted resuscitation of a young child in
cardiac arrest?
Obtaining a urine sample for toxicology screen
Obtaining chest and abdominal radiographs
Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family
Obtaining a venous blood gas - Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family
You are caring for a patient who developed a tension pneumothorax after several hours of
positive-pressure ventilation. Which of the following would be the most appropriate site for
needle decompression?
, Over the third rib at the midclavicular line
Under the eighth rib at the midaxillary line
Over the fifth rib at the sternal border
Under the sixth rib at the midclavicular line - Over the third rib at the midclavicular line
You attempted synchronized cardioversion for an infant with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
and poor perfusion. The SVT persists after the initial 1 J/kg shock. Which of the following
should you attempt now?
Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg
Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg
Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg
Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg - Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2
J/kg
You are treating a 5-month-old with a 2-day history of vomiting and diarrhea. The patient is
listless. The respiratory rate is 52/min and unlabored. The heart rate is 170/min and pulses are
present but weak. Capillary refill is delayed. You are administering high-flow oxygen, and
intravenous access is in place. At this point the most important therapy is to:
Administer an epinephrine bolus
Begin bag-mask ventilation
Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid bolus
Administer a bolus of 0.5 g/kg of dextrose - Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid
bolus
Which of the following groups of clinical findings would be most consistent with categorizing a
patient with compensated shock?
Normal systolic blood pressure, decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed
capillary refill, and faint or nonpalpable distal pulses
Decreased level of consciousness, extensor posturing in response to pain, hypertension, and
apnea
Normal blood pressure, normal level of consciousness, bounding distal pulses, hypercarbia,
hypoxemia, and normal urine output
Unresponsiveness, normal breathing, and good distal pulses - Normal systolic blood pressure,
decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed capillary refill, and faint or
nonpalpable distal pulses
You are treating a 10-year-old patient after a motor vehicle crash. The patient is unresponsive
and flexes his arms at the elbow in response to a painful stimulus. An endotracheal tube is in
place with position confirmed. You are ventilating using a resuscitation bag with oxygen, and the
child has an SPO2 of 95% and good chest excursion bilaterally. The blood pressure is 130/70
mm Hg, and the heart rate is 90/min with good perfusion. You have established intravenous
access. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate at this time?
