PALS PEDIATRIC CORE EXAM SET 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How does a pediatric patient compensate for decline? - ✔✔increased HR, peripheral
resistance
- contractility
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a neonate? - ✔✔100-205bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a infant? - ✔✔100-180bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a toddler - ✔✔98-140bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a preschooler? - ✔✔80-120bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a school age? - ✔✔75-118bpm
✔✔How do you calculate hypotension in a pediatric? - ✔✔age x 2 + 70 = low end of
normal
✔✔What is the calculate for pulse pressure? - ✔✔SBP - DBP = PP
✔✔What does a narrowing pulse pressure indicate? - ✔✔pericardial effusion/ cardiac
tamponade/ progressing shock
✔✔What does a widening pulse pressure indicate? - ✔✔increased ICP
✔✔Why is using blood pressure/ presence of hypotension not a good indicator of how
sick a pediatric patient is? - ✔✔Hypotension does not emerge until there is between 20-
30% blood loss. End stage sign of fluid loss.
✔✔What does the D in pediatric assessment ABCDE's stand for? - ✔✔disability -
neurologic dysfunction
✔✔What is included in a Disability assessment for pediatric ABCDE's? - ✔✔AVPU,
TICLS, seizures, neuro assessment, gait analysis, pupils/ eyes, blood glucose
✔✔What are considered low blood sugar levels in paediatrics <2 y/o and >= 2y/o? -
✔✔<2 y/o: <3mmol
>= 2 y/o: <4mmol
✔✔What does the E in pediatric ABCDE's stand for? - ✔✔Exposure
, ✔✔What does it mean to assess exposure in paediatrics? - ✔✔remove clothes one
body part at a time - assess for:
- core and peripheral temperatures
- rashes, hives, petechiae, purpura, trauma
✔✔What are some risk factors for SIDS? - ✔✔- Male
- Increased incidence in the winter
- Lower socioeconomic class
- Preterm infants
- Multiple births
- Low APGAR scores at birth
- CNS disturbances and respiratory disorders
- Infants with recent history of illness
- Sleeping in prone position
- Soft bedding
- Overheating
- Co-sleeping
- cigarette smoking
- poor prenatal care
- substance use
✔✔How long should we stay on scene for a pediatric cardiac arrest? why? - ✔✔20-30
minutes, airway is often the cause - address ABCs first, CPR and ventilations often are
effective
✔✔What is the ratio of CPR to ventilations in infants and children? - ✔✔30:2 for one
rescuer, 15:2 for 2 rescuers
✔✔What are the first two steps in managing a pediatric > 24 hours old, but <12 y/o with
a pulse <60 bpm? - ✔✔1. ensure airway patency and ventilate for 15-30 seconds
2. CPR if ventilation fail to produce increase in HR
✔✔What is the defibrillation Joules in a pediatric >= 24 hours but , 8y/o - ✔✔initial
shock: 2J/kg
subsequent shock: 4J/kg
✔✔When is Epi given IM during a cardiac arrest? - ✔✔when anaphylaxis is the
suspected causative agent
✔✔What concentration of Epi is given for pets >=24 hour old - 12 y/o IV/IO during
cardiac arrest? What is the dose? - ✔✔1:10,000
0.1mL/kg
✔✔What is the concentration of Epi give down the ETT tube to pediatric pt >= 24 hours
- < 12y/o during cardiac arrest? - ✔✔1:1000
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How does a pediatric patient compensate for decline? - ✔✔increased HR, peripheral
resistance
- contractility
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a neonate? - ✔✔100-205bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a infant? - ✔✔100-180bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a toddler - ✔✔98-140bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a preschooler? - ✔✔80-120bpm
✔✔What is a normal heart rate for a school age? - ✔✔75-118bpm
✔✔How do you calculate hypotension in a pediatric? - ✔✔age x 2 + 70 = low end of
normal
✔✔What is the calculate for pulse pressure? - ✔✔SBP - DBP = PP
✔✔What does a narrowing pulse pressure indicate? - ✔✔pericardial effusion/ cardiac
tamponade/ progressing shock
✔✔What does a widening pulse pressure indicate? - ✔✔increased ICP
✔✔Why is using blood pressure/ presence of hypotension not a good indicator of how
sick a pediatric patient is? - ✔✔Hypotension does not emerge until there is between 20-
30% blood loss. End stage sign of fluid loss.
✔✔What does the D in pediatric assessment ABCDE's stand for? - ✔✔disability -
neurologic dysfunction
✔✔What is included in a Disability assessment for pediatric ABCDE's? - ✔✔AVPU,
TICLS, seizures, neuro assessment, gait analysis, pupils/ eyes, blood glucose
✔✔What are considered low blood sugar levels in paediatrics <2 y/o and >= 2y/o? -
✔✔<2 y/o: <3mmol
>= 2 y/o: <4mmol
✔✔What does the E in pediatric ABCDE's stand for? - ✔✔Exposure
, ✔✔What does it mean to assess exposure in paediatrics? - ✔✔remove clothes one
body part at a time - assess for:
- core and peripheral temperatures
- rashes, hives, petechiae, purpura, trauma
✔✔What are some risk factors for SIDS? - ✔✔- Male
- Increased incidence in the winter
- Lower socioeconomic class
- Preterm infants
- Multiple births
- Low APGAR scores at birth
- CNS disturbances and respiratory disorders
- Infants with recent history of illness
- Sleeping in prone position
- Soft bedding
- Overheating
- Co-sleeping
- cigarette smoking
- poor prenatal care
- substance use
✔✔How long should we stay on scene for a pediatric cardiac arrest? why? - ✔✔20-30
minutes, airway is often the cause - address ABCs first, CPR and ventilations often are
effective
✔✔What is the ratio of CPR to ventilations in infants and children? - ✔✔30:2 for one
rescuer, 15:2 for 2 rescuers
✔✔What are the first two steps in managing a pediatric > 24 hours old, but <12 y/o with
a pulse <60 bpm? - ✔✔1. ensure airway patency and ventilate for 15-30 seconds
2. CPR if ventilation fail to produce increase in HR
✔✔What is the defibrillation Joules in a pediatric >= 24 hours but , 8y/o - ✔✔initial
shock: 2J/kg
subsequent shock: 4J/kg
✔✔When is Epi given IM during a cardiac arrest? - ✔✔when anaphylaxis is the
suspected causative agent
✔✔What concentration of Epi is given for pets >=24 hour old - 12 y/o IV/IO during
cardiac arrest? What is the dose? - ✔✔1:10,000
0.1mL/kg
✔✔What is the concentration of Epi give down the ETT tube to pediatric pt >= 24 hours
- < 12y/o during cardiac arrest? - ✔✔1:1000
