Practice Test GeeksPALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support Practice Test
← All PALS Flashcard Decks

Pharmacology 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 Pharmacology flashcards as text

  1. A neonate in cardiogenic shock from ductal-dependent congenital heart disease requires which medication to keep the ductus arteriosus open?

    Answer: Prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil)

    Prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil) maintains or reopens the ductus arteriosus in neonates with ductal-dependent congenital heart defects.

  2. A 5-year-old presents with a heroin overdose and respiratory arrest. Which medication is administered first?

    Answer: Naloxone

    Naloxone is the opioid antagonist used to reverse respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose.

  3. What is the preferred route for naloxone administration when IV access is unavailable in a child?

    Answer: Intranasal or IM

    Intranasal or intramuscular naloxone is effective when IV/IO access is unavailable and is widely recommended in PALS.

  4. Which medication is used to treat supraventricular tachycardia in a hemodynamically stable child when adenosine fails?

    Answer: Verapamil (only in children > 1 year)

    Verapamil may be considered for SVT in children older than 1 year if adenosine fails, but is contraindicated in infants due to risk of cardiovascular collapse.

  5. A child in status epilepticus unresponsive to benzodiazepines is given phenobarbital. What is the primary concern with rapid IV administration?

    Answer: Respiratory depression and hypotension

    Rapid IV phenobarbital can cause respiratory depression and hypotension, requiring careful monitoring and airway readiness.

  6. In a child with bradycardia unresponsive to atropine and epinephrine, which intervention should be considered next?

    Answer: Transcutaneous pacing

    Transcutaneous pacing is indicated for bradycardia with a pulse that is unresponsive to medications and causing hemodynamic compromise.

  7. Which drug interaction is most clinically relevant when giving adenosine to a child taking theophylline?

    Answer: Theophylline blocks adenosine receptors, reducing its effectiveness

    Theophylline is an adenosine receptor antagonist and can block the therapeutic effect of adenosine, requiring higher doses to terminate SVT.