PALS TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
1. In which of the following situations may IO access be used?
Answer> An extremity with slow capillary refill time.
2. A 2 - week old infant is being evaluated irritability and poor feeding. His
blood pressure is 55/40 mm Hg and capillary refill time is 5 seconds. Which
statement best describes your assessment of this infants blood pressure?
Answer> It is Hypotensive
3. You are caring for patients in the emergency department. Which two year
old requires immediate interventions?
Answer> A child who is grunting
4. A 3 year old child is having difficulty breathing. What finding would most
likely lead you to expect an upper airway obstruction in this child?
Answer> Increased inspiratory effort with retractions
5. A team member is unable to perform an assigned task because it is beyond the
1/
18
,team member's scope of practice. What action should the team member take?
Answer> Ask for a new task or role.
6. You are the team lead during a pediatric resuscitation attempt.Which action is
high quality CPR?
Answer> Allow complete chest wall recoil after each compression.
7. A 8 year old child is brought to the emergency department by his mother for
difficultly breathing. He has a history is asthma and nut allergies. His mother
tells you that he has recently ate a cookie at a family picnic. Which condition is
most likely present with this child?
Answer> Upper airy way obstruction
8. An 8-year-old child is brought to the emergency department by ambulance
after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. What finding would suggest
that immediate intervention is needed?
Answer> Decreased level of consciousness
9. A 6-year-old child is found unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse.
One healthcare worker leaves to activate the emergency response system and
get the resuscitation equipment.You and another healthcare provider
2/
18
, immediately begin performing CPR.What compression-to-ventilation -ratio do
you use?
Answer> 15 2
10. A 3-year-old child is in cardiac arrest, and high-quality CPR is in progress. You
are the Team Leader. The first rhythm check reveals the rhythm shown here.
Defibrillation is attempted with a shock dose of 2 J/kg. After shock
administration, what should you say to your team members?
Answer> Resume com- pressions
11. You are caring for a 5-year-old boy with a 4-day history of high fever and
cough. He is having increasing lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is
difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His oxygen satu-
ration is 72% on room air and 89% when on a nonrebreathing oxygen mask. He
has shallow respirations with a respiratory rate of 38/min. Auscultation of the
lungs reveals bilateral crackles.
11. What assessment finding is consistent with respiratory failure in this
child?
3/
18
1. In which of the following situations may IO access be used?
Answer> An extremity with slow capillary refill time.
2. A 2 - week old infant is being evaluated irritability and poor feeding. His
blood pressure is 55/40 mm Hg and capillary refill time is 5 seconds. Which
statement best describes your assessment of this infants blood pressure?
Answer> It is Hypotensive
3. You are caring for patients in the emergency department. Which two year
old requires immediate interventions?
Answer> A child who is grunting
4. A 3 year old child is having difficulty breathing. What finding would most
likely lead you to expect an upper airway obstruction in this child?
Answer> Increased inspiratory effort with retractions
5. A team member is unable to perform an assigned task because it is beyond the
1/
18
,team member's scope of practice. What action should the team member take?
Answer> Ask for a new task or role.
6. You are the team lead during a pediatric resuscitation attempt.Which action is
high quality CPR?
Answer> Allow complete chest wall recoil after each compression.
7. A 8 year old child is brought to the emergency department by his mother for
difficultly breathing. He has a history is asthma and nut allergies. His mother
tells you that he has recently ate a cookie at a family picnic. Which condition is
most likely present with this child?
Answer> Upper airy way obstruction
8. An 8-year-old child is brought to the emergency department by ambulance
after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. What finding would suggest
that immediate intervention is needed?
Answer> Decreased level of consciousness
9. A 6-year-old child is found unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse.
One healthcare worker leaves to activate the emergency response system and
get the resuscitation equipment.You and another healthcare provider
2/
18
, immediately begin performing CPR.What compression-to-ventilation -ratio do
you use?
Answer> 15 2
10. A 3-year-old child is in cardiac arrest, and high-quality CPR is in progress. You
are the Team Leader. The first rhythm check reveals the rhythm shown here.
Defibrillation is attempted with a shock dose of 2 J/kg. After shock
administration, what should you say to your team members?
Answer> Resume com- pressions
11. You are caring for a 5-year-old boy with a 4-day history of high fever and
cough. He is having increasing lethargy, grunting, and sleepiness. Now he is
difficult to arouse and is unresponsive to voice commands. His oxygen satu-
ration is 72% on room air and 89% when on a nonrebreathing oxygen mask. He
has shallow respirations with a respiratory rate of 38/min. Auscultation of the
lungs reveals bilateral crackles.
11. What assessment finding is consistent with respiratory failure in this
child?
3/
18
