PALS AHA 2020 COMPREHENSIVE ACADEMIC STUDY GUIDE WITH
VERIFIED CONCEPTS AND EXAM-FOCUSED EXPLANATIONS 2025–2026
Initial assessment from the doorway - correct answer -Appearance: level of responsiveness
Breathing: increased WOB, absent or decreased resp effort, or abnormal sounds heard w/o
auscultation.
Circulation (Color): abnormal skin color (pallor, mottling, cyanosis)
Primary Assessment Steps - correct answer -Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Disability
Exposure
Primary Assessment: Airway - correct answer -clear
maintainable
not maintainable
Primary Assessment: Breathing - correct answer -Respiratory rate and pattern
Respiratory Effort
Chest Expansion and Air Movement
Abnormal Lung and Airway Sounds
Oxygen Saturation
Primary Assessment: Circulation - correct answer -heart rate
central and peripheral pulses
cap refill
, skin color and temperature
blood pressure
Primary Assessment: Disability - correct answer -LOC
pupil size and reaction to light
blood glucose
Primary Assessment: Exposure - correct answer -skin assessment and temperature
Upper airway obstruction signs - correct answer -stridor, increased RR and effort, decreases air
movement, barking cough, hoarseness, snoring or gurgling
Upper airway obstruction causes - correct answer -croup, anaphylaxis, foreign object
obstruction
Croup (upper airway tx) - correct answer -neb epi
steroids
Anaphylaxis (upper airway tx) - correct answer -epi IM
neb albuterol
20ml/kg NS/LR bolus over 5-20min
Lowe airway obstruction signs - correct answer -increased RR and effort, decreases airway
movement, prolonged expiration, wheezing
bronchiolitis (lower airway obstruction) tx - correct answer -neb epi or albuterol
VERIFIED CONCEPTS AND EXAM-FOCUSED EXPLANATIONS 2025–2026
Initial assessment from the doorway - correct answer -Appearance: level of responsiveness
Breathing: increased WOB, absent or decreased resp effort, or abnormal sounds heard w/o
auscultation.
Circulation (Color): abnormal skin color (pallor, mottling, cyanosis)
Primary Assessment Steps - correct answer -Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Disability
Exposure
Primary Assessment: Airway - correct answer -clear
maintainable
not maintainable
Primary Assessment: Breathing - correct answer -Respiratory rate and pattern
Respiratory Effort
Chest Expansion and Air Movement
Abnormal Lung and Airway Sounds
Oxygen Saturation
Primary Assessment: Circulation - correct answer -heart rate
central and peripheral pulses
cap refill
, skin color and temperature
blood pressure
Primary Assessment: Disability - correct answer -LOC
pupil size and reaction to light
blood glucose
Primary Assessment: Exposure - correct answer -skin assessment and temperature
Upper airway obstruction signs - correct answer -stridor, increased RR and effort, decreases air
movement, barking cough, hoarseness, snoring or gurgling
Upper airway obstruction causes - correct answer -croup, anaphylaxis, foreign object
obstruction
Croup (upper airway tx) - correct answer -neb epi
steroids
Anaphylaxis (upper airway tx) - correct answer -epi IM
neb albuterol
20ml/kg NS/LR bolus over 5-20min
Lowe airway obstruction signs - correct answer -increased RR and effort, decreases airway
movement, prolonged expiration, wheezing
bronchiolitis (lower airway obstruction) tx - correct answer -neb epi or albuterol
