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Managing Respiratory Emergencies Flashcards

7 cards from real PALS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Managing Respiratory Emergencies flashcards as text

  1. A 4-year-old is found unresponsive with agonal respirations and no pulse. After 2 minutes of CPR, the cardiac monitor shows a narrow complex tachycardia at 210 bpm with a palpable pulse. What is this rhythm?

    Answer: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

    SVT at rates typically >220 bpm in infants or >180 bpm in children, with a narrow complex and sudden onset, is differentiated from sinus tachycardia by its extreme rate and lack of rate variability.

  2. A 7-year-old with epiglottitis requires airway management. Which approach is safest?

    Answer: Allow the child to remain calm and transport to OR for controlled intubation

    Epiglottitis management prioritizes keeping the child calm and performing intubation in a controlled OR setting with ENT backup to avoid sudden complete obstruction.

  3. A 10-month-old presents with a 2-day history of cough, wheeze, and low-grade fever. Examination shows prolonged expiration and diffuse crackles. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Bronchiolitis

    Bronchiolitis, most commonly caused by RSV, typically affects infants under 2 years with wheeze, prolonged expiration, and crackles following an upper respiratory prodrome.

  4. Correct ETT depth (cm at the lip) for oral intubation in a child can be estimated by which formula?

    Answer: Age/4 + 10

    The formula (Age/4 + 10) estimates oral ETT insertion depth at the lip in centimeters for pediatric patients.

  5. A 5-year-old is intubated for respiratory failure. Post-intubation chest X-ray shows only right lung inflation. What is the most likely cause?

    Answer: Right mainstem intubation

    Right mainstem bronchus intubation is common due to its less acute angle, resulting in right-only lung inflation and absent left breath sounds.

  6. In a pediatric patient receiving non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), which parameter directly reduces the work of breathing by counteracting auto-PEEP?

    Answer: Expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP)

    EPAP (similar to PEEP) stents open the small airways, counteracts intrinsic auto-PEEP in obstructive disease, and reduces the inspiratory effort required to trigger a breath.

  7. Which clinical scenario represents the 'upper airway obstruction' pattern of respiratory distress?

    Answer: Inspiratory stridor with suprasternal retractions

    Upper airway obstruction produces inspiratory stridor and suprasternal retractions because the obstruction creates turbulent flow during inspiration.