PALS PEDIATRIC EVALUATION EXAM 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Assessment of Breathing includes evaluation of:
1. Respiratory rate and effort
2. Chest expansion in air movement
3. Lung and airway sounds
4. O2 saturation
5. All of the above - ✔✔5.
✔✔Tachypnea can have both respiratory and non-respiratory causes. Select all of the
non-respiratory cause of tachypnea.
1. Croup
2. Pneumonia
3. Bronchiolitis
4. High Fever
5. Asthma
6. Severe pain
7. Anemia - ✔✔4, 6, 7
✔✔(True or False) Stridor is a sign of lower airway problem.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔2.
✔✔(True or False) Grunting is often a sign of lung tissue disease resulting from small
airway collapse, alveolar collapse or both.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔1.
✔✔Match each lung and airway sound with the appropriate definition. (drag and drop)
A. Coarse, usually higher pitched breathing sound typically heard on inspiration
B. High-pitched or low-pitched whistling or sighing sound heard most often during
expiration
C. Bubbling sound heard during inspiration or expiration
D. Short, low pitched breathing sound heard during expiration
E. Also known as rales and typically associated with pneumonia - ✔✔A. Stridor
B. Wheezing
C. Gurgling
D. Grunting
E. Crackles
✔✔An oxygen saturation of ≥ _____% while a child is breathing room air usually
indicates that oxygenation is adequate.
1. 90%
2. 92%
, 3. 94%
4. 98% - ✔✔3.
✔✔Heart rate and rhythm, pulses, capillary refill time, skin color and temperature, and
blood pressure are all direct indicators of circulatory status. Which of the following are
indirect indicators of circulatory status? (Choose all correct answers)
1. Urine output
2. Oxygen saturation
3. Level of consciousness
4. Respiratory rate - ✔✔1, 3.
✔✔What is the most common cause of bradycardia in children?
1. Sepsis
2. Drug overdose
3. Hypoxia
4. Complete heart block - ✔✔3.
✔✔(True or False) Tachycardia is a normal physiologic response in the critically ill
child?
1. True
2. False - ✔✔1.
✔✔An observed decrease in systolic blood pressure of ________ mm Hg from baseline
should prompt serial evaluations for additional signs of shock.
1. 5 mm Hg
2. 10 mm Hg
3. 15 mm Hg
4. 20 mm Hg - ✔✔2.
✔✔In healthy children, the heart rate may fluctuate with the respiratory cycle.
The heart rate __________ with inspiration and __________ with expiration. (fill in each
blank with a single word) - ✔✔increases, decreases
✔✔(True or False) When assessing circulation, it is only necessary to assess the
central pulses.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔2.
✔✔What is a common cause of vasoconstriction and can result in a discrepancy
between the peripheral and central pulses in children? (Choose all correct answers)
1. hot environment
2. cold environment
3. environmental stress
4. tachyarrhythmias - ✔✔2.
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Assessment of Breathing includes evaluation of:
1. Respiratory rate and effort
2. Chest expansion in air movement
3. Lung and airway sounds
4. O2 saturation
5. All of the above - ✔✔5.
✔✔Tachypnea can have both respiratory and non-respiratory causes. Select all of the
non-respiratory cause of tachypnea.
1. Croup
2. Pneumonia
3. Bronchiolitis
4. High Fever
5. Asthma
6. Severe pain
7. Anemia - ✔✔4, 6, 7
✔✔(True or False) Stridor is a sign of lower airway problem.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔2.
✔✔(True or False) Grunting is often a sign of lung tissue disease resulting from small
airway collapse, alveolar collapse or both.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔1.
✔✔Match each lung and airway sound with the appropriate definition. (drag and drop)
A. Coarse, usually higher pitched breathing sound typically heard on inspiration
B. High-pitched or low-pitched whistling or sighing sound heard most often during
expiration
C. Bubbling sound heard during inspiration or expiration
D. Short, low pitched breathing sound heard during expiration
E. Also known as rales and typically associated with pneumonia - ✔✔A. Stridor
B. Wheezing
C. Gurgling
D. Grunting
E. Crackles
✔✔An oxygen saturation of ≥ _____% while a child is breathing room air usually
indicates that oxygenation is adequate.
1. 90%
2. 92%
, 3. 94%
4. 98% - ✔✔3.
✔✔Heart rate and rhythm, pulses, capillary refill time, skin color and temperature, and
blood pressure are all direct indicators of circulatory status. Which of the following are
indirect indicators of circulatory status? (Choose all correct answers)
1. Urine output
2. Oxygen saturation
3. Level of consciousness
4. Respiratory rate - ✔✔1, 3.
✔✔What is the most common cause of bradycardia in children?
1. Sepsis
2. Drug overdose
3. Hypoxia
4. Complete heart block - ✔✔3.
✔✔(True or False) Tachycardia is a normal physiologic response in the critically ill
child?
1. True
2. False - ✔✔1.
✔✔An observed decrease in systolic blood pressure of ________ mm Hg from baseline
should prompt serial evaluations for additional signs of shock.
1. 5 mm Hg
2. 10 mm Hg
3. 15 mm Hg
4. 20 mm Hg - ✔✔2.
✔✔In healthy children, the heart rate may fluctuate with the respiratory cycle.
The heart rate __________ with inspiration and __________ with expiration. (fill in each
blank with a single word) - ✔✔increases, decreases
✔✔(True or False) When assessing circulation, it is only necessary to assess the
central pulses.
1. True
2. False - ✔✔2.
✔✔What is a common cause of vasoconstriction and can result in a discrepancy
between the peripheral and central pulses in children? (Choose all correct answers)
1. hot environment
2. cold environment
3. environmental stress
4. tachyarrhythmias - ✔✔2.
