PALS Certification Course Exam
Questions With Highest Ratings
Which topics are included in the PALS course ? - CORRECT ANSWER-PALS includes
the following:
(1) Overview of assessment
(2) Recognition and management of respiratory distress and failure
(3) Recognition and management of shock
(4) Recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias
(5) Recognition and management of cardiac arrest
(6) Postresuscitation management of patients with pulmonary and cardiac arrest
(7) Review of pharmacology
What should be the primary focus of the clinician on prevention of cardiopulmonary
failure - CORRECT ANSWER-The clinician should primarily focus on prevention of
cardiopulmonary failure through early recognition and management of respiratory
distress, respiratory failure, and shock that can lead to cardiac arrest from hypoxia,
acidosis, and ischemia.
What is the main cause of cardiac arrests in children? - CORRECT ANSWER-In infants
and children, most cardiac arrests result from progressive respiratory failure and/or
shock, thus one of the aims of PALS rapid assessment model is to prevent progression
to cardiac arrest.
What is the pediatric assessment triangle? - CORRECT ANSWER-Brief visual and
auditory observation of child's overall (1) appearance, (2) work of breathing, (3)
circulation
What are the components of the primary assessment? What signs should the clinician
look for? - CORRECT ANSWER-The clinician should in rapid sequence assess:
(1) Airway (patent, patent with maneuvers/adjuncts, partially or completely obstructed)
(2) Breathing (respiratory rate, effort, tidal volume, lung sounds, pulse oximetry)
,(3) Circulation (skin color and temperature, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure,
peripheral and central pulses, capillary refill time)
(4) Disability: (a)AVPU pediatric response scale: Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive; (b)
Pupillary response to light
(c) Presence of hypoglycemia (rapid bedside glucose or response to empiric
administration of dextrose) (d) Glasgow Coma Scale
What are the components of the secondary assessment? For what should the clinician
look for during the secondary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWER-This portion of the
evaluation includes a thorough head to toe physical examination, as well as a focused
medical history that consists of the "SAMPLE" history:
(S) Signs and Symptoms
(A) Allergies
(M) Medications
(P) Past medical history
(L) Last meal
(E) Events leading to current illness
What are the components of the tertiary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWER-Injury and
infection are common causes of life-threatening illness in children. Thus, for this stage,
ancillary studies are frequently directed towards identifying the extent of trauma or an
infectious focus.
There are many causes of acute respiratory compromise in children. The clinician
should strive to categorize respiratory distress or failure into one or more of the
following: - CORRECT ANSWER-(1) Upper airway obstruction (eg, croup, epiglottitis)
(2) Lower airway obstruction (eg, bronchiolitis, status asthmaticus)
(3) Lung tissue (parenchymal) disease (eg, bronchopneumonia)
(4) Disordered control of breathing (eg, seizure, coma, muscle weakness)
What is the focus of initial management - CORRECT ANSWER-The main focus of initial
management is to support airway, breathing, and circulation
, How can the clinician support the airway? - CORRECT ANSWER-(1) Provide 100
percent inspired oxygen
(2) Allow child to assume position of comfort or manually open airway
(3) Clear airway (suction)
(4) Insert an airway adjunct if consciousness is impaired (eg, nasopharyngeal airway or,
if gag reflex absent, oropharyngeal airway)
How can the clinician support breathing? - CORRECT ANSWER-For supporting
breathing, the clinician should:
(1) Assist ventilation manually in patients not responding to basic airway maneuvers or
with inadequate or ineffective respiratory effort
(2) Monitor oxygenation by pulse oximetry
(3) Monitor ventilation by end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) if available
(4) Administer medications as needed (eg, albuterol, epinephrine)
T of F: in preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100 percent oxygen? -
CORRECT ANSWER-True! In preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100
percent oxygen via a high-concentration mask, or if indicated, positive pressure
ventilation with a bag-valve-mask to preoxygenate and improve ventilation.
What should be done if the patient cannot maintain their airway, oxygenation, or
ventilatory requirements? - CORRECT ANSWER-In such cases, the patient should
undergo placement of an artificial airway, usually via endotracheal intubation and less
commonly with a laryngeal mask airway or alternative device.
T or F some patients with upper airway obstruction and/or respiratory failure may
respond to noninvasive ventilation if airway reflexes are preserved. - CORRECT
ANSWER-True! Certain populations of patients with upper airway obstruction and/or
respiratory failure may respond to noninvasive ventilation (CPAP or BiPAP) if airway
reflexes are preserved.
When a patient appears to be in shock, what should be the goal of the next action
taken? - CORRECT ANSWER-The goal should be to recognize and categorize the type
of shock in order to prioritize treatment options
