EPALS Exam Question and Answer
(2026/2027) | Comprehensive Review
| Detailed Rationales
• Hypovolemic schock . CORRECT ANSWER: decreased circulating blood volume
(dehydration/trauma)
• distributive shock . CORRECT ANSWER: inadequate disruption of blood, so that
the blood flow is insufficient for the oxygenation of the tissues.
(anaphylaxis/sepsis/neurogenic)
• cardiogenic shock . CORRECT ANSWER: circulatory failure due to poor heart
function (cardiomyopathy/myocarditis/cardiac surgery)
• obstructive shock . CORRECT ANSWER: circulatory failure due to obstruction of
blood flow to/from the heart (tension pneumothorax/cardiac tamponade)
• Dissociative Shock . CORRECT ANSWER: insufficient oxygen carrying capacity of
the blood (anaemia/carbon monoxide poisoning)
• Weight Estimation . CORRECT ANSWER: weight (kg) = (age in years +4) x2
• cardiac output . CORRECT ANSWER: Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume
(blood volume ejected each contraction)
• blood pressure . CORRECT ANSWER: blood pressure = cardiac output X systemic
vascular resistance
(2026/2027) | Comprehensive Review
| Detailed Rationales
• Hypovolemic schock . CORRECT ANSWER: decreased circulating blood volume
(dehydration/trauma)
• distributive shock . CORRECT ANSWER: inadequate disruption of blood, so that
the blood flow is insufficient for the oxygenation of the tissues.
(anaphylaxis/sepsis/neurogenic)
• cardiogenic shock . CORRECT ANSWER: circulatory failure due to poor heart
function (cardiomyopathy/myocarditis/cardiac surgery)
• obstructive shock . CORRECT ANSWER: circulatory failure due to obstruction of
blood flow to/from the heart (tension pneumothorax/cardiac tamponade)
• Dissociative Shock . CORRECT ANSWER: insufficient oxygen carrying capacity of
the blood (anaemia/carbon monoxide poisoning)
• Weight Estimation . CORRECT ANSWER: weight (kg) = (age in years +4) x2
• cardiac output . CORRECT ANSWER: Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume
(blood volume ejected each contraction)
• blood pressure . CORRECT ANSWER: blood pressure = cardiac output X systemic
vascular resistance
