PALS Precourse Self-Assessment Answers – American Heart Association (AHA) – Complete Answer Key and Explanations

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PALS PRECOURSE SELF ASSESSMENT

ANSWERS

Contents
Section 1: Practical Application Answers....................................................................................... 1

Section 2: Rhythm Identification Answers ................................................................................... 13

Section 3: Pharmacology Answers ............................................................................................... 20




Section 1: Practical Application Answers
You need to provide rescue breaths to a child victim with a pulse. What is the appropriate rate
for delivering breaths?

A. 1 breath every 6 seconds
B. 1 breath every 3 to 5 seconds
C. 2 breaths every 6 to 8 seconds
D. 1 breath every 2 to 3 seconds (Correct)



A 3-year-old unresponsive, apneic child is brought to the emergency department. EMS personnel
report that the child became unresponsive as they arrived at the hospital. The child is receiving
CPR with bag-mask ventilation. The rhythm shown here is on the cardiac monitor. A biphasic
manual defibrillator is present. You quickly use the length from head to heel of the child on a
color-coded length-based resuscitation tape to estimate the approximate weight as 15 kg. Which
therapy is most appropriate for this child at this time?

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A. Attempt defibrillation at 10 J, and then resume CPR, beginning with compressions
B. Attempt defibrillation at 30 J, and then open the airway and check for a pulse
C. Attempt defibrillation at 30 J, and then resume CPR, beginning with compressions
(Correct)
D. Establish IV/IO access and administer epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO



You are supervising a student who is inserting an IO needle into an infant’s tibia. The student
asks you what she should look for to know that she has successfully inserted the needle into the
bone marrow cavity. What do you tell her?

A. “Once inserted, the shaft of the needle moves easily in all directions within the bone.”
B. “Proper placement will always yield blood return.”
C. “Pulsatile blood flow will be present in the needle hub.”
D. “Fluids can be administered freely without local soft tissue swelling.” (Correct)




A 4-year-old boy is in pulseless arrest in the pediatric intensive care unit. High-quality CPR is in
progress. You quickly review his chart and find that his baseline-corrected QT interval on a 12-
lead ECG is prolonged. The monitor shows recurrent episodes of the rhythm shown here. The
patient has received 1 dose of epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg, but the rhythm shown here continues. If
this rhythm persists at the next rhythm check, which medication would be most appropriate to
administer at that time?

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A. Epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg IV
B. Lidocaine 1 mg/kg IV
C. Adenosine 0.1 mg/kg IV
D. Magnesium sulfate 25 to 50 mg/kg IV (Correct)



You are caring for a 3-year-old with vomiting and diarrhea. You have established IV access. The
child’s pulses are palpable but faint, and the child is now lethargic. The heart rate is variable
(range, 44/min to 62/min). You begin bag-mask ventilation with 100% oxygen. When the heart
rate does not improve, you begin chest compressions. The rhythm shown here is seen on the
cardiac monitor. Which would be the most appropriate therapy to consider next?




A. Atropine 0.02 mg/kg IV (Correct)
B. Epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg IV