PALS Instructor Practice Exam Questions & Verified Answers | Pediatric Advanced Life Support Q&A PDF

Ohio Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
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Instructor Practice Exam Questions And
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Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus
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Rationales 2026|2027 Q&A | Instant
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1. A 6-month-old infant is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
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bAfter calling for help, what is the next best action for a lone
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brescuer trained in PALS?
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A. Attach AED b




B. Begin CPR with 30 compressions and 2 breaths
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C. Deliver 5 rescue breaths then start compressions
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D. Place the infant in recovery position
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Rationale: For an unresponsive infant who is not breathing normally,
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bstart high-quality CPR immediately. For lone rescuers of
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binfants/children, current guidance recommends starting CPR b b b b b

, (compressions and breaths) and activating emergency response as b b b b b b b




bsoon as possible.
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2. During pediatric chest compressions, what is the recommended
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bcompression depth for an infant? b b b b




A. At least 2.5 inches (6 cm)
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B. 1.5 inches (4 cm)
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C. About one third the anterior–posterior chest depth (~1.5 inches /
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b 4 cm)
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D. At least 3 inches (8 cm)
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Rationale: Recommended compression depth for infants is about one
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bthird of the chest depth (~4 cm). Avoid excessively deep
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bcompressions.

3. Which compression-to-ventilation ratio is correct for a 2-rescuer
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bpediatric BLS scenario without an advanced airway?
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A. 30:2 for all rescuers b b b




B. 15:2
C. 3:1
D. 5:1
Rationale: In 2-rescuer pediatric BLS (infant/child), the recommended
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bcompression-to-ventilation ratio is 15:2 to provide more frequent b b b b b b b




bventilations given likely respiratory causes of arrest.
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4. For a child with bradycardia and poor perfusion despite adequate
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boxygenation and ventilation, what is the immediate medication
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bto

, consider?
A. Atropine only b




B. Epinephrine
C. Adenosine
D. Amiodarone
Rationale: If bradycardia with poor perfusion persists despite
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oxygenation and ventilation, give epinephrine and consider pacing;
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atropine is less favored as first-line in PALS for unstable
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bradycardia.
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5. When managing a pediatric patient in pulseless ventricular fibrillation
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(VF), what is the correct immediate action?
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A. Give atropineb




B. Start IV fluids
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C. Immediate high-quality CPR and defibrillation (shock) as soon as
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b possible
D. Give adenosine
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Rationale: For shockable rhythms (VF/pulseless VT), immediate high-
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quality CPR and prompt defibrillation are priorities, with
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epinephrine and antiarrhythmics given per algorithm.
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6. Appropriate energy dose for pediatric defibrillation (first shock) using
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biphasic defibrillator is:
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A. 10 J/kg only
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B. 10–20 J/kg, then 30–40 J/kg for subsequent shocks
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C. 2–4 J/kg, then escalate if needed
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, D. 5–10 J/kg repeated b b




Rationale: Pediatric defibrillation dosing commonly recommended:
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first shock 2–4 J/kg for manual defibrillation (some resources list 2–4
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J/kg). If using biphasic and local protocols allow, initial doses often
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start at 2 J/kg and may be increased. Follow local device guidance.
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7. In a pediatric patient with pulseless arrest, how frequently should
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epinephrine be administered?
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A. Every 2 minutes b b




B. Every 30 seconds b b




C. Every 3–5 minutes b b




D. Only once during arrest
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Rationale: Epinephrine is typically given every 3–5 minutes during
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cardiac arrest (after initial actions and per algorithm) to support
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circulation.
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8. Which rhythm is most likely to respond to synchronized cardioversion
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in a child with unstable tachycardia?
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A. Asystole
B. Pulseless VF b




C. Monomorphic supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with signs of b b b b b b




b poor perfusion
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D. Torsades de pointes without pulse b b b b




Rationale: Unstable SVT or other organized tachycardias with poor
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