PEARS - Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Care Questions and Answers

Question 1

An 8-month-old infant is found unresponsive, pale, and limp.
You assess for a brachial pulse and cannot definitively feel one within 10 seconds.
A cardiac monitor shows a heart rate of 45 beats per minute.
What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Begin high-quality chest compressions and ventilations.

Answer

Provide rescue breaths only at a rate of 1 every 3-5 seconds.

Answer

Administer a rapid fluid bolus of isotonic crystalloid.

Answer

Continue to assess for a pulse for another 15 seconds.

Question 2

You and a colleague are performing high-quality, two-rescuer CPR on a 4-year-old child. What is the correct compression-to-ventilation ratio that should be used?

Accepted Answer

15 compressions to 2 breaths

Answer

30 compressions to 2 breaths

Answer

15 compressions to 1 breath

Answer

30 compressions to 1 breath

Question 3

Which of the following is a critical component of high-quality chest compressions in a pediatric patient that directly contributes to better outcomes?

Accepted Answer

Allowing for full chest recoil between each compression.

Answer

Compressing at a rate of 80-90 per minute to allow for more effective ventilations.

Answer

Pausing compressions every minute for a 10-second rhythm check.

Answer

Delivering shallow compressions to prevent rib fractures.

Question 4

A 6-year-old child weighing 22 kg (48 lbs) collapses and is found to be in pulseless cardiac arrest. An AED with both adult and pediatric pads arrives. What is the most appropriate action regarding the AED?

Accepted Answer

Apply the pediatric pads and use a dose attenuator if available.

Answer

Use the adult pads in an anterior-posterior placement.

Answer

Do not use the AED until an advanced life support team arrives.

Answer

Wait to see if CPR alone restores a pulse before applying pads.

Question 5

Unlike cardiac arrest in adults, which is typically caused by primary cardiac events, pediatric cardiac arrest is most often a secondary event resulting from which underlying condition?

Accepted Answer

Progressive respiratory failure or shock.

Answer

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).

Answer

Congenital heart disease.

Answer

Severe electrolyte abnormalities.

Question 6

Following a successful resuscitation, a 5-year-old child has a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The child is being supported with high-flow oxygen. What is the recommended target range for oxygen saturation (SpO2) during the post-cardiac arrest care phase?

Accepted Answer

Titrate oxygen to maintain SpO2 between 94% and 99%.

Answer

Maintain SpO2 at 100% to maximize oxygen delivery.

Answer

Keep SpO2 between 88% and 92% to avoid oxygen toxicity.

Answer

Discontinue supplemental oxygen immediately to promote spontaneous breathing.