PALS Certification Course
Q&A(100%)Correct
Which topics are included in the PALS course ? - CORRECT ANSWERS:PALS includes the following:
(1) Overview of assessment
(2) Recognition and management of respiratory distress and failure
(3) Recognition and management of shock
(4) Recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias
(5) Recognition and management of cardiac arrest
(6) Postresuscitation management of patients with pulmonary and cardiac arrest
(7) Review of pharmacology
What should be the primary focus of the clinician on prevention of cardiopulmonary failure - CORRECT
ANSWERS:The clinician should primarily focus on prevention of cardiopulmonary failure through early
recognition and management of respiratory distress, respiratory failure, and shock that can lead to
cardiac arrest from hypoxia, acidosis, and ischemia.
What is the main cause of cardiac arrests in children? - CORRECT ANSWERS:In infants and children, most
cardiac arrests result from progressive respiratory failure and/or shock, thus one of the aims of PALS
rapid assessment model is to prevent progression to cardiac arrest.
What is the pediatric assessment triangle? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Brief visual and auditory observation of
child's overall (1) appearance, (2) work of breathing, (3) circulation
What are the components of the primary assessment? What signs should the clinician look for? -
CORRECT ANSWERS:The clinician should in rapid sequence assess:
(1) Airway (patent, patent with maneuvers/adjuncts, partially or completely obstructed)
(2) Breathing (respiratory rate, effort, tidal volume, lung sounds, pulse oximetry)
(3) Circulation (skin color and temperature, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, peripheral and
central pulses, capillary refill time)
,(4) Disability: (a)AVPU pediatric response scale: Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive; (b) Pupillary response
to light
(c) Presence of hypoglycemia (rapid bedside glucose or response to empiric administration of dextrose)
(d) Glasgow Coma Scale
What are the components of the secondary assessment? For what should the clinician look for during
the secondary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWERS:This portion of the evaluation includes a thorough
head to toe physical examination, as well as a focused medical history that consists of the "SAMPLE"
history:
(S) Signs and Symptoms
(A) Allergies
(M) Medications
(P) Past medical history
(L) Last meal
(E) Events leading to current illness
What are the components of the tertiary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Injury and infection are
common causes of life-threatening illness in children. Thus, for this stage, ancillary studies are frequently
directed towards identifying the extent of trauma or an infectious focus.
There are many causes of acute respiratory compromise in children. The clinician should strive to
categorize respiratory distress or failure into one or more of the following: - CORRECT ANSWERS:(1)
Upper airway obstruction (eg, croup, epiglottitis)
(2) Lower airway obstruction (eg, bronchiolitis, status asthmaticus)
(3) Lung tissue (parenchymal) disease (eg, bronchopneumonia)
(4) Disordered control of breathing (eg, seizure, coma, muscle weakness)
What is the focus of initial management - CORRECT ANSWERS:The main focus of initial management is to
support airway, breathing, and circulation
How can the clinician support the airway? - CORRECT ANSWERS:(1) Provide 100 percent inspired oxygen
, (2) Allow child to assume position of comfort or manually open airway
(3) Clear airway (suction)
(4) Insert an airway adjunct if consciousness is impaired (eg, nasopharyngeal airway or, if gag reflex
absent, oropharyngeal airway)
How can the clinician support breathing? - CORRECT ANSWERS:For supporting breathing, the clinician
should:
(1) Assist ventilation manually in patients not responding to basic airway maneuvers or with inadequate
or ineffective respiratory effort
(2) Monitor oxygenation by pulse oximetry
(3) Monitor ventilation by end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) if available
(4) Administer medications as needed (eg, albuterol, epinephrine)
T of F: in preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100 percent oxygen? - CORRECT
ANSWERS:True! In preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100 percent oxygen via a high-
concentration mask, or if indicated, positive pressure ventilation with a bag-valve-mask to preoxygenate
and improve ventilation.
What should be done if the patient cannot maintain their airway, oxygenation, or ventilatory
requirements? - CORRECT ANSWERS:In such cases, the patient should undergo placement of an artificial
airway, usually via endotracheal intubation and less commonly with a laryngeal mask airway or
alternative device.
T or F some patients with upper airway obstruction and/or respiratory failure may respond to
noninvasive ventilation if airway reflexes are preserved. - CORRECT ANSWERS:True! Certain populations
of patients with upper airway obstruction and/or respiratory failure may respond to noninvasive
ventilation (CPAP or BiPAP) if airway reflexes are preserved.
When a patient appears to be in shock, what should be the goal of the next action taken? - CORRECT
ANSWERS:The goal should be to recognize and categorize the type of shock in order to prioritize
treatment options
Why is the early management of shock so critical for patient survival? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Early
treatment of shock may prevent the progression to cardiopulmonary failure
Q&A(100%)Correct
Which topics are included in the PALS course ? - CORRECT ANSWERS:PALS includes the following:
(1) Overview of assessment
(2) Recognition and management of respiratory distress and failure
(3) Recognition and management of shock
(4) Recognition and management of cardiac arrhythmias
(5) Recognition and management of cardiac arrest
(6) Postresuscitation management of patients with pulmonary and cardiac arrest
(7) Review of pharmacology
What should be the primary focus of the clinician on prevention of cardiopulmonary failure - CORRECT
ANSWERS:The clinician should primarily focus on prevention of cardiopulmonary failure through early
recognition and management of respiratory distress, respiratory failure, and shock that can lead to
cardiac arrest from hypoxia, acidosis, and ischemia.
What is the main cause of cardiac arrests in children? - CORRECT ANSWERS:In infants and children, most
cardiac arrests result from progressive respiratory failure and/or shock, thus one of the aims of PALS
rapid assessment model is to prevent progression to cardiac arrest.
What is the pediatric assessment triangle? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Brief visual and auditory observation of
child's overall (1) appearance, (2) work of breathing, (3) circulation
What are the components of the primary assessment? What signs should the clinician look for? -
CORRECT ANSWERS:The clinician should in rapid sequence assess:
(1) Airway (patent, patent with maneuvers/adjuncts, partially or completely obstructed)
(2) Breathing (respiratory rate, effort, tidal volume, lung sounds, pulse oximetry)
(3) Circulation (skin color and temperature, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, peripheral and
central pulses, capillary refill time)
,(4) Disability: (a)AVPU pediatric response scale: Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive; (b) Pupillary response
to light
(c) Presence of hypoglycemia (rapid bedside glucose or response to empiric administration of dextrose)
(d) Glasgow Coma Scale
What are the components of the secondary assessment? For what should the clinician look for during
the secondary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWERS:This portion of the evaluation includes a thorough
head to toe physical examination, as well as a focused medical history that consists of the "SAMPLE"
history:
(S) Signs and Symptoms
(A) Allergies
(M) Medications
(P) Past medical history
(L) Last meal
(E) Events leading to current illness
What are the components of the tertiary assessment? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Injury and infection are
common causes of life-threatening illness in children. Thus, for this stage, ancillary studies are frequently
directed towards identifying the extent of trauma or an infectious focus.
There are many causes of acute respiratory compromise in children. The clinician should strive to
categorize respiratory distress or failure into one or more of the following: - CORRECT ANSWERS:(1)
Upper airway obstruction (eg, croup, epiglottitis)
(2) Lower airway obstruction (eg, bronchiolitis, status asthmaticus)
(3) Lung tissue (parenchymal) disease (eg, bronchopneumonia)
(4) Disordered control of breathing (eg, seizure, coma, muscle weakness)
What is the focus of initial management - CORRECT ANSWERS:The main focus of initial management is to
support airway, breathing, and circulation
How can the clinician support the airway? - CORRECT ANSWERS:(1) Provide 100 percent inspired oxygen
, (2) Allow child to assume position of comfort or manually open airway
(3) Clear airway (suction)
(4) Insert an airway adjunct if consciousness is impaired (eg, nasopharyngeal airway or, if gag reflex
absent, oropharyngeal airway)
How can the clinician support breathing? - CORRECT ANSWERS:For supporting breathing, the clinician
should:
(1) Assist ventilation manually in patients not responding to basic airway maneuvers or with inadequate
or ineffective respiratory effort
(2) Monitor oxygenation by pulse oximetry
(3) Monitor ventilation by end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) if available
(4) Administer medications as needed (eg, albuterol, epinephrine)
T of F: in preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100 percent oxygen? - CORRECT
ANSWERS:True! In preparation for intubation, the patient should receive 100 percent oxygen via a high-
concentration mask, or if indicated, positive pressure ventilation with a bag-valve-mask to preoxygenate
and improve ventilation.
What should be done if the patient cannot maintain their airway, oxygenation, or ventilatory
requirements? - CORRECT ANSWERS:In such cases, the patient should undergo placement of an artificial
airway, usually via endotracheal intubation and less commonly with a laryngeal mask airway or
alternative device.
T or F some patients with upper airway obstruction and/or respiratory failure may respond to
noninvasive ventilation if airway reflexes are preserved. - CORRECT ANSWERS:True! Certain populations
of patients with upper airway obstruction and/or respiratory failure may respond to noninvasive
ventilation (CPAP or BiPAP) if airway reflexes are preserved.
When a patient appears to be in shock, what should be the goal of the next action taken? - CORRECT
ANSWERS:The goal should be to recognize and categorize the type of shock in order to prioritize
treatment options
Why is the early management of shock so critical for patient survival? - CORRECT ANSWERS:Early
treatment of shock may prevent the progression to cardiopulmonary failure
