PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support High-Quality Pediatric BLS Questions and Answers

Question 1

When performing two-rescuer CPR on a 4-year-old child, what is the correct chest compression-to-ventilation ratio?

Accepted Answer

15:2

Answer

For two-rescuer CPR on infants and children (up to the age of puberty), the recommended compression-to-ventilation ratio is 15:2. This provides more frequent ventilations, which is critical as pediatric cardiac arrest is often secondary to respiratory failure. The 30:2 ratio is used for single-rescuer CPR for all ages.

Question 2

You are performing high-quality CPR on a 7-year-old child. What is the recommended depth for chest compressions?

Accepted Answer

At least one-third the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest, approximately 2 inches (5 cm).

Answer

For children, chest compressions should have a depth of at least one-third the anterior-posterior (AP) diameter of the chest. This correlates to approximately 2 inches or 5 cm. A depth of 1.5 inches is for infants, and compressing to one-half the chest diameter is too deep and could cause injury.

Question 3

Which of the following is the primary physiological reason for allowing the chest to fully recoil between each compression?

Accepted Answer

To allow the heart to adequately fill with blood before the next compression.

Answer

Allowing complete chest recoil is critical because it creates negative intrathoracic pressure, which helps draw venous blood back into the heart's chambers (preload). This ensures that there is sufficient blood in the ventricles to be circulated with the next compression.

Question 4

A lone rescuer finds a 10-month-old infant in cardiac arrest. An AED with only adult-sized pads is available. What is the most appropriate action regarding AED pad placement?

Accepted Answer

Place one pad on the center of the infant's chest and the other on the back, ensuring they do not touch.

Answer

If only adult pads are available for an infant or small child, an anterior-posterior placement should be used. One pad is placed on the center of the chest and the other on the back between the shoulder blades. This prevents the pads from touching or overlapping, which could cause arcing and an ineffective shock. It is critical to use the AED rather than withhold defibrillation.

Question 5

To ensure high-quality CPR and maximize coronary perfusion pressure, interruptions in chest compressions should be limited to no more than:

Accepted Answer

10 seconds

Answer

A core principle of high-quality CPR is minimizing interruptions in chest compressions. Each pause results in a drop in vital organ perfusion. Guidelines emphasize that interruptions for actions such as rhythm analysis, defibrillation, or airway placement should be limited to less than 10 seconds.

PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support Practice Test

PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support Practice Test

PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support High-Quality Pediatric BLS Questions and Answers