PEARS Child and Infant BLS 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An AED is applied to a 2-year-old child in cardiac arrest. Pediatric pads are not available. What should you do?
- Do not use the AED on children under 8 years old
- Use adult pads but place one on the chest and one on the back (Correct answer)
- Use adult pads placed normally on the chest
- Wait for pediatric pads before using the AED
Correct answer: Use adult pads but place one on the chest and one on the back
If pediatric pads are unavailable for a child under 8, adult pads can be used by placing one on the front of the chest and one on the back to avoid pad overlap.
Question 2: After delivering an AED shock, what should the rescuer do immediately?
- Check the pulse for up to 10 seconds
- Resume CPR immediately starting with chest compressions (Correct answer)
- Reassess breathing for 30 seconds
- Reanalyze the rhythm before doing anything else
Correct answer: Resume CPR immediately starting with chest compressions
CPR should resume immediately after a shock without pausing to check a pulse, as compressions are critical for perfusion.
Question 3: A lone rescuer is performing CPR on a 6-year-old. What is the correct compression-to-ventilation ratio?
- 15:2
- 30:2 (Correct answer)
- 15:1
- 20:2
Correct answer: 30:2
A single rescuer uses a 30:2 ratio for CPR on children, consistent with adult single-rescuer CPR, to minimize interruptions.
Question 4: How should you open the airway of an unresponsive child with no suspected cervical spine injury?
- Jaw thrust maneuver only
- Head tilt-chin lift (Correct answer)
- Neck extension without chin lift
- Modified jaw thrust with neck neutral
Correct answer: Head tilt-chin lift
The head tilt-chin lift is the recommended technique for opening the airway in a child without suspected cervical spine injury.
Question 5: During CPR, you notice the infant's chest is not rising with rescue breaths. What is your first action?
- Increase the force of breaths
- Reposition the head and attempt rescue breathing again (Correct answer)
- Switch immediately to compression-only CPR
- Attempt blind finger sweep to clear airway
Correct answer: Reposition the head and attempt rescue breathing again
If breaths do not cause chest rise, reposition the airway with head tilt-chin lift and reattempt before considering other interventions.
Question 6: Which pulse site is recommended when checking for a pulse in an infant?
- Carotid artery
- Radial artery
- Brachial artery (Correct answer)
- Femoral artery
Correct answer: Brachial artery
The brachial artery on the inner upper arm is the preferred site for pulse checks in infants because the short, fat neck makes the carotid difficult to palpate.
Question 7: What is the maximum time allowed for a pulse check before beginning or resuming CPR?
- 5 seconds
- 10 seconds (Correct answer)
- 15 seconds
- 20 seconds
Correct answer: 10 seconds
Pulse checks should take no more than 10 seconds; if a pulse is not clearly felt within that time, begin or resume CPR.
PEARS Child and Infant BLS 3
An AED is applied to a 2-year-old child in cardiac arrest.
Pediatric pads are not available.
What should you do?