Pediatric and Geriatric Emergencies Flashcards

In pediatric cardiac arrest, the MOST common initial rhythm is:

Answer: Asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA)

Unlike adults, pediatric cardiac arrest usually results from respiratory failure leading to asystole or PEA, not primary arrhythmia.

The epinephrine dose for pediatric cardiac arrest is:

Answer: 0.01 mg/kg of 1:10,000 IV/IO

Pediatric epinephrine for cardiac arrest is 0.01 mg/kg of 1:10,000 solution IV/IO, repeated every 3–5 minutes.

An elderly patient presents with confusion, fever of 101.8°F, and urinary symptoms. You should suspect:

Answer: Urinary tract infection (UTI) — a common cause of altered mental status in the elderly

UTIs frequently cause acute confusional states in geriatric patients because the aging brain is more vulnerable to systemic infection and inflammation.

Which of the following physiologic changes in the elderly increases the risk of drug toxicity?

Answer: Decreased renal clearance and reduced hepatic metabolism

Aging reduces both kidney clearance and liver metabolism, causing drugs to accumulate to toxic levels more readily in elderly patients.

A 7-year-old child (22 kg) needs defibrillation. What is the correct initial energy dose?

Answer: 88 J (2 J/kg)

Pediatric defibrillation starts at 2 J/kg; for a 22 kg child that is 44 J, and subsequent shocks can be increased to 4 J/kg.

When assessing pain in a 3-year-old child who cannot verbalize, you should use:

Answer: FLACC scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability)

The FLACC scale is validated for preverbal and non-verbal children up to 7 years old, using behavioral cues rather than self-report.