Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
A series of questions and answers related to the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) algorithm. The questions cover various scenarios involving pediatric patients in critical condition and require the reader to apply the PALS algorithm to determine the appropriate course of action. intended for healthcare professionals who are seeking to improve their knowledge and skills in pediatric resuscitation.
Typology: Exams
1 / 14
You are caring for a child who was resuscitated after a drowning event. The child is intubated and ventilated with 100% oxygen with equal breath sounds and exhaled CO2 detected. The heart rate is slow and the monitor shows sinus bradycardia. The skin is cool, mottled, and moist; distal pulses are not palpable and the central pulses are weak. Intravenous access has been established. The core temperature is 37.3oC. Based on the PALS bradycardia algorithm, which of the following should be provided first? Epinephrine IV Transcutaneous pacing Atropine IV Dobutamine IV infusion - Correct Answer Epinephrine IV You are caring for a 5-year-old patient with supraventricular tachycardia (heart rate = 220/min). The child is lethargic. The skin is pale and cool with delayed capillary refill. Distal pulses are not palpable. Which of the following would be the best treatment to provide without delay? Place cold packs on the distal upper and lower extremities Ask the child to blow through a small straw
Exert light pressure on the eyes bilaterally Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5 to 1 J/kg - Correct Answer Provide synchronized cardioversion at 0.5 to 1 J/kg You are initiating treatment for a child with septic shock and hypotension. While administering high-flow oxygen you determine that the child's respirations are adequate and SpO2 is 100%. You have just established vascular access and obtained blood samples. Which of the following is the next most appropriate therapy to support systemic perfusion? Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic colloid Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid Begin immediate dopamine infusion Begin immediate dobutamine infusion - Correct Answer Administer repeated fluid boluses of isotonic crystalloid You are treating an 8-year-old with ventricular tachycardia with pulses and adequate perfusion. You attempted synchronized cardioversion without success. While seeking expert consultation, it would be most appropriate to:
Administer a loading dose of milrinone Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes Initiate overdrive pacing transcutaneously Deliver an unsynchronized shock - Correct Answer Consider possible metabolic and toxicologic causes You are caring for a 2-year-old unconscious patient who is intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation. The child's heart rate suddenly drops to 40/min and his color becomes mottled. You should respond to these changes by: Increasing the ventilator rate Increasing tidal volume Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) Using a resuscitation bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen - Correct Answer Using a resuscitation bag provide manual ventilation with 100% oxygen You are caring for a 9-month-old patient with pronounced respiratory distress. You initiated high-flow oxygen using a nonrebreathing mask about 10 minutes ago and established intravenous access. Initially the infant's heart rate was in the 150/min
range with strong pulses. Suddenly the infant's respiratory rate falls to 6/min with significant intercostals retractions, and little air movement is heard. The infant becomes cyanotic and the heart rate decreases to 95/min. Which of the following treatments would be best for you to provide now? Administer epinephrine IV Provide bag-mask ventilation Administer magnesium sulfate IV Intubate and ventilate - Correct Answer Provide bag-mask ventilation Which of the following is likely to be the most helpful technique to identify potentially reversible metabolic and toxic causes during the attempted resuscitation of a young child in cardiac arrest? Obtaining a urine sample for toxicology screen Obtaining chest and abdominal radiographs Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family Obtaining a venous blood gas - Correct Answer Soliciting a history from the caregiver or family
You are caring for a patient who developed a tension pneumothorax after several hours of positive-pressure ventilation. Which of the following would be the most appropriate site for needle decompression? Over the third rib at the midclavicular line Under the eighth rib at the midaxillary line Over the fifth rib at the sternal border Under the sixth rib at the midclavicular line - Correct Answer Over the third rib at the midclavicular line You attempted synchronized cardioversion for an infant with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and poor perfusion. The SVT persists after the initial 1 J/kg shock. Which of the following should you attempt now? Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg
Unsynchronized cardioversion at a dose of 4 J/kg - Correct Answer Synchronized cardioversion at a dose of 2 J/kg You are treating a 5-month-old with a 2-day history of vomiting and diarrhea. The patient is listless. The respiratory rate is 52/min and unlabored. The heart rate is 170/min and pulses are present but weak. Capillary refill is delayed. You are administering high-flow oxygen, and intravenous access is in place. At this point the most important therapy is to: Administer an epinephrine bolus Begin bag-mask ventilation Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid bolus Administer a bolus of 0.5 g/kg of dextrose - Correct Answer Provide a rapid 20 ml/kg isotonic crystalloid fluid bolus Which of the following groups of clinical findings would be most consistent with categorizing a patient with compensated shock? Normal systolic blood pressure, decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed capillary refill, and faint or nonpalpable distal pulses
Decreased level of consciousness, extensor posturing in response to pain, hypertension, and apnea Normal blood pressure, normal level of consciousness, bounding distal pulses, hypercarbia, hypoxemia, and normal urine output Unresponsiveness, normal breathing, and good distal pulses - Correct Answer Normal systolic blood pressure, decreased level of consciousness, cool extremities with delayed capillary refill, and faint or nonpalpable distal pulses You are treating a 10-year-old patient after a motor vehicle crash. The patient is unresponsive and flexes his arms at the elbow in response to a painful stimulus. An endotracheal tube is in place with position confirmed. You are ventilating using a resuscitation bag with oxygen, and the child has an SPO2 of 95% and good chest excursion bilaterally. The blood pressure is 130/70 mm Hg, and the heart rate is 90/min with good perfusion. You have established intravenous access. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate at this time? Obtain a CT scan of the head and neck Begin manual hyperventilation Provide continuous positive airway pressure
Give an intravenous bolus of mannitol - Correct Answer Obtain a CT scan of the head and neck You arrive on the scene of a 12-year-old child who suddenly collapsed on the playground. The child is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless and CPR is in progress. A lay rescuer just brought the school AED, turned it on, and attached it. The AED recommends a shock. Which of the following should be done next? Obtain intravenous access Attempt defibrillation Change compressions:ventilations from 30:2 to 15: Attempt endotracheal intubation - Correct Answer Attempt defibrillation You are caring for a child in persistent ventricular fibrillation. Which of the following would best describe the child's cardiac condition? The heart is not pumping blood at all The heart is beating too slowly to maintain circulation There is no electrical activity in the heart
The heart is pumping so fast that it cannot fill completely between beats - Correct Answer The heart is not pumping blood at all You are called to treat a 5-year-old with a 3-day history of worsening respiratory distress. The child responds only to pain. The heart rate is initially 45/min and regular with poor capillary refill. You provide bag-mask ventilations (BMV) with high-flow oxygen that produces good chest rise with full and clear bilateral breath sounds. The heart rate rises in response to ventilation, but after you suction the posterior pharynx, bradycardia recurs (40/min). Which of the following interventions would be most appropriate for you to do first? Perform transcutaneous pacing Administer epinephrine IV Administer atropine IV Resume bag-mask ventilation - Correct Answer Resume bag-mask ventilation You are caring for an 8-month-old with bradycardia and very poor perfusion that has persisted despite effective ventilations with high-flow oxygen. You should begin chest compressions if the heart rate is:
More than 200/min More than 150/min Less than 100/min Less than 60/min - Correct Answer Less than 60/min You are caring for a 2-year-old with a 1-day history of respiratory distress and stridor. The patient is alert. The child's respiratory rate is 32/min with good chest rise. SPO2 is 98% in room air. The heart rate is 128/min and capillary refill is normal. Skin is warm, pink, and dry. At this point you should: Assist ventilations with bag-mask device Use a nonrebreathing mask with tight mask seal Keep the patient calm and comfortable Give IV methylprednisolone (Solumedrol) - Correct Answer Keep the patient calm and comfortable You are caring for a 7-year-old with respiratory distress that has worsened over the past few hours. The child is alert and in moderate respiratory distress with prolonged exhalation time. The respiratory rate is 28/min with bilateral expiratory
wheezes. The heart rate is 112/min with good capillary refill. The wheezing in this patient indicates: Lung tissue (parenchymal) lung disease Disordered control of breathing Upper airway obstruction Lower airway obstruction - Correct Answer Lower airway obstruction Which of the following assessments is most useful in evaluating the effectiveness of bag-mask ventilations? Hearing an air leak around the mask when the bag is fully compressed Seeing the abdomen rise during ventilation Observation of visible chest rise A normal systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure - Correct Answer Observation of visible chest rise
You are assessing a 6-year-old child who appears unconscious after striking his head on a concrete step. You pinch the patient's chest and the patient grabs your hand. You would document this response as: Decerebrate posturing Decorticate posturing Withdrawal from a painful stimulus Localization of a painful stimulus - Correct Answer Localization of a painful stimulus You are caring for an 8-year-old child who was struck by a car. The child is alert, very anxious, and in respiratory distress. The child is receiving high-flow oxygen by face mask, has a respiratory rate of 60/min, the heart rate is 150/min, systolic blood pressure is 70 mm Hg, and a SpO2 of 86% and falling. Breath sounds and chest rise are absent over the right chest. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this child's distress? Tension Pneumothorax Cardiac temponade Severe hypovolemia
Cardiac asthma - Correct Answer Tension Pneumothorax You are treating a 10-year-old victim of multisystem trauma. The child is very anxious and confused. The respiratory rate is 44/min and unlabored. the pulse is rapid and weak. Capillary refill is delayed. High-flow oxygen and an intravenous line are in place. The most appropriate initial fluid for rapid volume expansion is: 10% dextrose in water 5% dextrose in Ringer's lactate 5% dextrose in normal saline Normal saline or Ringer's lactate - Correct Answer Normal saline or Ringer's lactate When monitoring the quality of chest compressions during a resuscitation, you should ensure that providers are: Pushing hard - ensure that the chest is compressed 3/4 of the anterior-posterior diameter Pushing fast - compress at a rate of 150/min
Allowing complete recoil - let the chest return to its original position between compressions Minimizing interruptions - do not permit interruptions for more than 1 minute - Correct Answer Allowing complete recoil - let the chest return to its original position between compressions