PALS Chapter 8: Tachycardia Practice Test 2025

Last Updated on May 10, 2025

Pediatric Advanced Life Support PALS Chapter 8: Tachycardia Practice Test 2025 Questions Answers Quiz. Tachycardia is a heart rate greater than normal for a child’s age. Like bradycardia, tachycardia can be life-threatening if it compromises the heart’s ability to perfuse effectively. When the heart beats too quickly, there is a shortened relaxation phase.

This causes two main problems: the ventricles cannot fill, so cardiac output is lowered; the coronary arteries receive less blood, so supply to the heart is decreased. There are several kinds of tachycardia, which can be challenging to differentiate in children on ECG due to the elevated heart rate.

PALS Chapter 8: Tachycardia Practice Test

PALS Practice Test
Chapter 8: Tachycardia
Total Items: 20 MCQs
Time Limit: N/A

1 / 20

1) What is the first-line drug for treating pediatric supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)?

A) Lidocaine

B) Adenosine

C) Epinephrine

D) Atropine

2 / 20

2) Which of the following tachyarrhythmias is NOT considered life-threatening?

A) Ventricular tachycardia

B) Sinus tachycardia

C) Torsades de Pointes

D) Ventricular fibrillation

3 / 20

3) A child presents with a narrow QRS complex and heart rate of 180 bpm. He is alert and perfusing well. What is the most likely rhythm?

A) Ventricular tachycardia

B) Asystole

C) Sinus tachycardia

D) Torsades de Pointes

4 / 20

4) What is a distinguishing feature of ventricular tachycardia on ECG?

A) Wide QRS, often regular

B) Narrow QRS, regular rhythm

C) P waves visible between beats

D) Heart rate always under 120 bpm

5 / 20

5) Which of the following is typically NOT seen in wide complex tachycardia?

A) Rate above 150 bpm

B) P waves before every QRS

C) Polymorphic QRS patterns

D) Wide QRS

6 / 20

6) When is adenosine contraindicated in pediatric tachycardia?

A) In narrow QRS tachycardia

B) In regular SVT

C) If the rhythm is irregular or polymorphic

D) After vagal maneuvers

7 / 20

7) What is the correct second dose of adenosine if the first dose fails in treating SVT?

A) 0.2 mg/kg, max 12 mg

B) 0.5 mg/kg

C) Repeat first dose

D) 1.0 mg/kg

8 / 20

8) What treatment is preferred for a child with unstable ventricular tachycardia with a pulse?

A) Synchronized cardioversion

B) Epinephrine

C) Vagal maneuvers

D) Defibrillation

9 / 20

9) What is a critical risk associated with untreated ventricular tachycardia?

A) Fatigue

B) Temporary confusion

C) Progression to ventricular fibrillation

D) Respiratory distress

10 / 20

10) What is the most common cause of sinus tachycardia in pediatric patients?

A) Structural heart disease

B) Fever or pain

C) Electrocution

D) Congenital arrhythmia

11 / 20

11) You see a wide QRS tachycardia with no clear P waves. The child is hypotensive. What is the most urgent next step?

A) Observe

B) Administer adenosine

C) Perform synchronized cardioversion

D) Repeat ECG

12 / 20

12) Which of the following rhythms usually has visible P waves and a gradual onset?

A) Sinus tachycardia

B) Ventricular tachycardia

C) Torsades de Pointes

D) SVT

13 / 20

13) What ECG finding suggests SVT rather than sinus tachycardia?

A) Gradual increase in heart rate

B) Clear P waves

C) Irregular rhythm

D) Abrupt onset and termination

14 / 20

14) Which of the following is true regarding ventricular fibrillation?

A) It can be treated with adenosine

B) It requires defibrillation

C) It shows organized QRS complexes

D) It is a stable rhythm

15 / 20

15) What is the correct first dose of adenosine in a 10-year-old child with SVT?

A) 0.2 mg/kg, maximum 12 mg

B) 0.1 mg/kg, maximum 6 mg

C) 12 mg

D) 6 mg

16 / 20

16) In a stable child with SVT, what non-pharmacologic intervention can be tried first?

A) Vagal maneuvers (e.g., ice to face)

B) Administer epinephrine

C) Chest compressions

D) Carotid massage

17 / 20

17) Which of the following best describes a narrow QRS complex tachycardia?

A) QRS duration > 0.12 seconds

B) Always life-threatening

C) Irregular and wide complex

D) QRS duration < 0.09 seconds

18 / 20

18) A child with a heart rate of 200 bpm suddenly becomes unresponsive. What should you do first?

A) Give oxygen and wait

B) Begin chest compressions

C) Administer adenosine

D) Call Poison Control

19 / 20

19) A 13-year-old with a history of congenital heart disease has a narrow complex tachycardia at 175 bpm. Which is the most likely rhythm?

A) Atrial flutter

B) SVT

C) Torsades de Pointes

D) Ventricular tachycardia

20 / 20

20) Which rhythm is characterized by a twisting of the QRS complexes around the isoelectric line?

A) Torsades de Pointes

B) Ventricular fibrillation

C) Sinus tachycardia

D) SVT

Your score is

See also:

Free PALS Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]