AHA PEDIATRIC ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ When perfusion deteriorates in children and O2 delivery to
tissues becomes inadequate, what are typically affected first?.
Answer: hands and feet
- they may become coo, pale, dusky, or mottled
◉ You respond to a child or an infant that is found down. What is the
next action after determining unresponsiveness?. Answer: *Tell a
bystander to call 911.*
- Early activation is key.
- Send any available bystander to call 911. Many pediatric cardiac
arrest situations are the result of a respiratory problem, and
immediate intervention can be life-saving.
◉ Which of the following describes the brachial pulse location?.
Answer: *Upper arm - inside*
- The brachial pulse is located in the upper arm.
,◉ What is a simple mnemonic for aid in the assessment of mental
status?. Answer: *AVPU*
- AVPU (alert, voice, pain, unresponsive) is a simple assessment tool
to assess for adequate brain perfusion.
◉ Adenosine dosage of SVT in PALS for children. Answer: Adenosine
is effective for the treatment of SVT.
- The first dose is 0.1 mg/kg up to a maximum of 6 mg.
- The second dose is 0.2 mg/kg up to a maximum of 12 mg.
◉ A child has an advanced airway in place during cardiac arrest.
How frequently should ventilations be given?. Answer: *Every six
seconds*
- The latest AHA guidelines recommend one ventilation every six
seconds, or 10 per minute, when an advanced airway is in place.
◉ In small children, a rescue breath should be given:. Answer: *over
one second*
,- Rescue breaths and ventilations should be delivered over one
second, regardless of the patient's age.
◉ What is the normal range of heart rates for an 8-year-old child?.
Answer: *60-140 per minute*
◉ An elevated respiratory rate is a sign of early respiratory
compromise. In late stages or overt respiratory failure, the
respiratory rate is. Answer: low or barely detectable.
◉ The 8-year-old child you are treating has a palpable pulse and a
heart rate of 200. You look at the monitor and see a rapid rhythm
with narrow QRS complexes. There are no discernible P waves on
the monitor. The rhythm is probably:. Answer: *superventricular
tachycardia*
- The absence of P waves rules out a sinus rhythm, even sinus
tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia creates a wide QRS complex.
◉ You are doing CPR on a child with symptomatic bradycardia. An
intravenous line is in place. What is the first drug of choice for the
patient?. Answer: *Epinephrine*
- If oxygenation and ventilation fail to correct symptomatic
bradycardia in a child, epinephrine should be given.
, - While atropine is the recommended initial treatment choice for
symptomatic bradycardia in adults, in children it is a secondary
choice.
- Atropine is the initial treatment in children with AV block due to
primary bradycardia, however.
◉ You are the team leader on a team resuscitating a child without a
pulse or respirations. When you look at the monitor, you see a
disorganized rhythm with chaotic electrical activity. This rhythm is
most likely:. Answer: *ventricular fibrillation*
- The ECG waveform described is most likely ventricular fibrillation.
- Ventricular tachycardia would create abnormal, but regular
waveforms. Asystole is a "flat line" and PEA can be almost any
rhythm, except asystole, ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular
fibrillation.
◉ In school age children and infants, the two most common initial
rhythms seen in pediatric cardiac arrest are:. Answer: *asystole and
PEA*
- While cardiac arrest in children is usually preceded by respiratory
distress and failure, the two most common, immediate causes of
cardiac arrest in children are asystole and PEA.
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ When perfusion deteriorates in children and O2 delivery to
tissues becomes inadequate, what are typically affected first?.
Answer: hands and feet
- they may become coo, pale, dusky, or mottled
◉ You respond to a child or an infant that is found down. What is the
next action after determining unresponsiveness?. Answer: *Tell a
bystander to call 911.*
- Early activation is key.
- Send any available bystander to call 911. Many pediatric cardiac
arrest situations are the result of a respiratory problem, and
immediate intervention can be life-saving.
◉ Which of the following describes the brachial pulse location?.
Answer: *Upper arm - inside*
- The brachial pulse is located in the upper arm.
,◉ What is a simple mnemonic for aid in the assessment of mental
status?. Answer: *AVPU*
- AVPU (alert, voice, pain, unresponsive) is a simple assessment tool
to assess for adequate brain perfusion.
◉ Adenosine dosage of SVT in PALS for children. Answer: Adenosine
is effective for the treatment of SVT.
- The first dose is 0.1 mg/kg up to a maximum of 6 mg.
- The second dose is 0.2 mg/kg up to a maximum of 12 mg.
◉ A child has an advanced airway in place during cardiac arrest.
How frequently should ventilations be given?. Answer: *Every six
seconds*
- The latest AHA guidelines recommend one ventilation every six
seconds, or 10 per minute, when an advanced airway is in place.
◉ In small children, a rescue breath should be given:. Answer: *over
one second*
,- Rescue breaths and ventilations should be delivered over one
second, regardless of the patient's age.
◉ What is the normal range of heart rates for an 8-year-old child?.
Answer: *60-140 per minute*
◉ An elevated respiratory rate is a sign of early respiratory
compromise. In late stages or overt respiratory failure, the
respiratory rate is. Answer: low or barely detectable.
◉ The 8-year-old child you are treating has a palpable pulse and a
heart rate of 200. You look at the monitor and see a rapid rhythm
with narrow QRS complexes. There are no discernible P waves on
the monitor. The rhythm is probably:. Answer: *superventricular
tachycardia*
- The absence of P waves rules out a sinus rhythm, even sinus
tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia creates a wide QRS complex.
◉ You are doing CPR on a child with symptomatic bradycardia. An
intravenous line is in place. What is the first drug of choice for the
patient?. Answer: *Epinephrine*
- If oxygenation and ventilation fail to correct symptomatic
bradycardia in a child, epinephrine should be given.
, - While atropine is the recommended initial treatment choice for
symptomatic bradycardia in adults, in children it is a secondary
choice.
- Atropine is the initial treatment in children with AV block due to
primary bradycardia, however.
◉ You are the team leader on a team resuscitating a child without a
pulse or respirations. When you look at the monitor, you see a
disorganized rhythm with chaotic electrical activity. This rhythm is
most likely:. Answer: *ventricular fibrillation*
- The ECG waveform described is most likely ventricular fibrillation.
- Ventricular tachycardia would create abnormal, but regular
waveforms. Asystole is a "flat line" and PEA can be almost any
rhythm, except asystole, ventricular tachycardia, or ventricular
fibrillation.
◉ In school age children and infants, the two most common initial
rhythms seen in pediatric cardiac arrest are:. Answer: *asystole and
PEA*
- While cardiac arrest in children is usually preceded by respiratory
distress and failure, the two most common, immediate causes of
cardiac arrest in children are asystole and PEA.
