Every drug you need to know in order to pass your PALS exam.
There are many areas you need to be familiar with in order to pass your Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) exam, but perhaps none require more studying than the medications. This requires knowing more than the names of the drugs that will show up on your exam. You need to know their primary uses, which drug to administer in certain situations, and the dosages of that particular drug. Additionally, there is other information about each drug you need to be familiar with in order to adequately prepare yourself for a given situation.
There are some questions on the exam that you can use practical experience, prior medical knowledge, and a bit of common sense to come up with an answer – which theoretically doesn’t require as much studying. However, the medications and dosages do not fall under that category. There’s really no way around it, this is a part of the exam that you need to have memorized. Thankfully, we have listed all of them here to help you out.
Here is a quick reference sheet that shows you everything you need to know about the medications that will appear on your PALS exam:
Table of Contents
Adenosine
Primary Use:
- SVT/PSVT
- Wide QRS Tachycardia
Dose:
- First Dose: 0.1 mg/kg IV Push (Max: 6 mg.)
- Second Dose: 0.2 mg/kg IV Push (Max: 12 mg.)
Cautions/Notes:
- Must be given as a bolus, followed by a flush
- Can cause bronchospasm - use caution in asthmatics
- Flushing/chest tightness are common
Amiodarone
Primary Use:
- Pulseless VT
- Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib)
- Recurrent Hemodynamically Unstable Ventricular Tachycardia
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Supraventricular Tachyarrhythmias (SVT)
Dose:
- Pulseless VT / V-Fib: 5 mg/kg bolus (Max Dose: 300 mg)
- VT / SVT: 5 mg/kg over 20-60 minutes (Max Dose: 300 mg)
Cautions/Notes:
- Rapid infusion causes hypotension
- If cumulative dosing exceeds 2.2 grams in 24 hours, significant hypotension can occur. Avoid administration with any drug that may prolong QT interval
Atropine
Primary Use:
- Symptomatic Bradycardia
Dose:
- 0.02 mg/kg IV (Repeat every 3 – 5 minutes
- Max single dose: 0.5 mg
Cautions/Notes:
- Dose less than 0.1 mg may cause Paradoxical Bradycardia
- Max Total Dose: 1 mg (Child) / 3 mg (Adolescent)
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Dopamine
Primary Use:
- Bradycardia
- Hypotension
Dose:
- 2 – 20 mcg/kg/min infusion
- Titrated based on clinical response; tapered on/off slowly
Cautions/Notes:
- Extravasation causes tissue damage and necrosis
- Use caution if giving high doses through a peripheral IV site
- May cause excessive vasoconstriction/tachyarrhythmias
- Adequate volume resuscitation is required before initiating dopamine therapy
Epinephrine
Primary Use:
- Cardiac Arrest
- Symptomatic Bradycardia
- Severe Hypotension
- Anaphylaxis / Severe Allergic Reactions
Dose:
- 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO (0.1 mL of 1:10,000 solution)
- Repeat every 3 – 5 minutes
- IV fluid Flush following each dose
Cautions/Notes:
- Higher doses are often needed in cases of beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker overdoses. A continuous infusion may be required
- High dose does not improve survival / neurological outcome
- High dose ceases myocardial dysfunction in the post-resuscitation period
Glucose
Primary Use:
- Hypoglycemia
Dose:
- 0.5 – 1 g/kg IV/IO
Cautions/Notes:
- < 30 Days Old: D10W 5 – 10 mL/kg IV/IO
- 30 Days – 2 Years Old: D25W 2 – 4 mL/kg IV/IO
- > 2 Years Old: D50W 1 – 2 mL/kg IV/IO
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Lidocaine
Primary Use:
- Cardiac Arrest from VT / VF
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Ventricular Fibrillation
Dose:
- 1 mg/kg IV/IO bolus
- Maintenance Infusion: 20 – 50 mcg/kg/min
Cautions/Notes:
- Can also be used for stable polymorphic ventricular tachycardia with normal baseline QT AND torsades
- Decrease maintenance doses if left ventricular dysfunction or if impaired liver function
- Not used prophylactically after myocardial infarction
Magnesium
Primary Use:
- Torsades de Pointes
- Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium)
- Digitalis Toxicity
Dose:
- Initial Dose: 25 – 50 mg/kg IV/IO over 15 – 30 minutes, diluted in 10 mg/mL D5W
- Max: 2 g
Cautions/Notes:
- Rapid administration may drop blood pressure
- Very high doses can cause respiratory distress (calcium is an antidote)
- Use with caution for patients with renal failure
Naloxone
Primary Use:
- Opioid Reversal
Dose:
- 0.01 – 0.1 mg/kg
- Max single dose: 2 mg
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Procainamide
Primary Use:
- Ventricular Arrhythmias
- Supraventricular Arrhythmias (SVT)
Dose:
- Loading Dose: 15 –mg/kg IV/IO. Give over at least 30 minutes
Cautions/Notes:
- Serious reactions can occur for ventricular fibrillation, asystole, seizures, decreased platelets, neutrophils (and can result in hemolytic anemia)
- Other common reactions include hypertension, bradycardia, angioedema, flushing, and urticaria
Sodium Bicarbonate
Primary Use:
- Metabolic Acidosis
Dose:
- 1 mEq/kg IV/IO (given slowly)
- Max: 50 mEq
Cautions/Notes:
- Ensure adequate ventilation before administering (prevent or correct respiratory acidosis)
- Monitor pH with ABG results
Additional PALS Study Material:
- How To Prepare For Your Online PALS Exam
- Can You Pass This PALS Pretest?
- Every PALS Acronym You Need To Know
- The Importance of PALS Megacodes
Looking to get your PALS Certification or Recertification underway? Look no further! eMedCert offers the most convenient and affordable online PALS courses available!