2020 PALS Exam A – Pediatric Advanced Life Support Practice
Questions & Answers
An 8 year old child is brought to the ED by his mother for difficulty breathing. He has a history of asthma and
nut allergies. He's mother tells you that he recently ate a cookie at a family picnic. Which condition is most
likely to be present in this child?
A. Disordered control of breathing
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Lung tissue disease
D. upper airway obstruction
D. upper airway obstruction
An 8 year old child is brought to the ED by ambulance after being involved in a MVC. Which finding would
suggest that immediate intervention is needed?
A. Decreased level of consciousness
B. Systolic blood pressure of 106 mm Hg
C. Temperature of 38.1 C (100.5 F)
D. Warm, moist skin
A. Decreased level of consciousness
A 6 year old child is found unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. one health care worker leaves to
activate the emergency response system and get the resuscitation equipment. You and another healthcare
provider immediatly begin CPR. Which compression to ventilation ratio do you use?
A. 15:1
B. 30:1
C. 15:2
D. 30:2
C. 15:2
A 3 year old child is in cardiac arrest, and high quality CPR is in progress. You are the team leader. The first
rhythm check reveals the rhythm shown here. Defibrillation is attempted with a shock dose of 2 J/kg. after
administration of the shock, what should you say to you team members?
A. Check for a pulse
B. Give epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg
C. Let's check the rhythm
D. Resume compressions
D. Resume compressions
, You are caring for a 5 year old boy with a 4 day history of high fever and cough. He is having increasing
lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His O2
sat is 72% on room air and 89% when on a NRB O2 mask. He has shallow respirations, with a respiratory rate
of 38/min. Auscultation of the lungs reveals bilateral crackles. Which assessment finding is consistent with
respiratory failure in this child?
A. Cough
B. Fever
C. Oxygen saturation
D. Respiratory rate
C. Oxygen saturation
You are caring for a 5 year old boy with a 4 day history of high fever and cough. He is having increasing
lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His O2
sat is 72% on room air and 89% when on a NRB O2 mask. He has shallow respirations, with a respiratory rate
of 38/min. Auscultation of the lungs reveals bilateral crackles. Which medication would be most appropriate?
A. A bronchodilator
B. An antibiotic
C. A cortcosteroid
D. A vasopressor
B. An antibiotic
During a resuscitation attempt, the team leader asks you to administer an initial dose of Epinephrine at 0.1
mg/kg to be given IO. How should you respond?
A. "I can't administer the drug at the dose you ordered
B. "OK, but will administer epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg"
C. "OK, I will administer epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg
D. "I think the correct dose is 0.01 mg/kg. should I give that dose instead?"
D. "I think the correct dose is 0.01 mg/kg. should I give that dose instead?"
A 6 month old infant is unresponsive. You begin checking for breathing at the same time you check for the
infants pulse. Which is the maximum time you should spend when trying to simultaneously check for breathing
and palpate the infants pulse before starting CPR?
A. 10 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 30 seconds
D. 60 seconds
A. 10 seconds
A 10 year old child is being evaluated for a head ache. Which is a normal finding for this 10 year old child?
A. Blood pressure of 60/50 mm Hg
Questions & Answers
An 8 year old child is brought to the ED by his mother for difficulty breathing. He has a history of asthma and
nut allergies. He's mother tells you that he recently ate a cookie at a family picnic. Which condition is most
likely to be present in this child?
A. Disordered control of breathing
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Lung tissue disease
D. upper airway obstruction
D. upper airway obstruction
An 8 year old child is brought to the ED by ambulance after being involved in a MVC. Which finding would
suggest that immediate intervention is needed?
A. Decreased level of consciousness
B. Systolic blood pressure of 106 mm Hg
C. Temperature of 38.1 C (100.5 F)
D. Warm, moist skin
A. Decreased level of consciousness
A 6 year old child is found unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. one health care worker leaves to
activate the emergency response system and get the resuscitation equipment. You and another healthcare
provider immediatly begin CPR. Which compression to ventilation ratio do you use?
A. 15:1
B. 30:1
C. 15:2
D. 30:2
C. 15:2
A 3 year old child is in cardiac arrest, and high quality CPR is in progress. You are the team leader. The first
rhythm check reveals the rhythm shown here. Defibrillation is attempted with a shock dose of 2 J/kg. after
administration of the shock, what should you say to you team members?
A. Check for a pulse
B. Give epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg
C. Let's check the rhythm
D. Resume compressions
D. Resume compressions
, You are caring for a 5 year old boy with a 4 day history of high fever and cough. He is having increasing
lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His O2
sat is 72% on room air and 89% when on a NRB O2 mask. He has shallow respirations, with a respiratory rate
of 38/min. Auscultation of the lungs reveals bilateral crackles. Which assessment finding is consistent with
respiratory failure in this child?
A. Cough
B. Fever
C. Oxygen saturation
D. Respiratory rate
C. Oxygen saturation
You are caring for a 5 year old boy with a 4 day history of high fever and cough. He is having increasing
lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His O2
sat is 72% on room air and 89% when on a NRB O2 mask. He has shallow respirations, with a respiratory rate
of 38/min. Auscultation of the lungs reveals bilateral crackles. Which medication would be most appropriate?
A. A bronchodilator
B. An antibiotic
C. A cortcosteroid
D. A vasopressor
B. An antibiotic
During a resuscitation attempt, the team leader asks you to administer an initial dose of Epinephrine at 0.1
mg/kg to be given IO. How should you respond?
A. "I can't administer the drug at the dose you ordered
B. "OK, but will administer epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg"
C. "OK, I will administer epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg
D. "I think the correct dose is 0.01 mg/kg. should I give that dose instead?"
D. "I think the correct dose is 0.01 mg/kg. should I give that dose instead?"
A 6 month old infant is unresponsive. You begin checking for breathing at the same time you check for the
infants pulse. Which is the maximum time you should spend when trying to simultaneously check for breathing
and palpate the infants pulse before starting CPR?
A. 10 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 30 seconds
D. 60 seconds
A. 10 seconds
A 10 year old child is being evaluated for a head ache. Which is a normal finding for this 10 year old child?
A. Blood pressure of 60/50 mm Hg
