Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Basic Life Support Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

If only adult AED pads are available for a 6-year-old, what should you do?

Do not use the AED
Use the adult AED pads
Wait for pediatric pads to arrive
Decrease the charge of the AED

The correct answer is: Use the adult AED pads

Using adult AED pads on a 6-year-old is appropriate due to the principle that the pads can still effectively deliver a shock in situations where pediatric pads are not available. Adult pads are designed for larger body sizes, but they can safely be used on children, particularly those over the age of 8 or weighing more than 55 pounds. When using adult pads, it’s important to ensure that the pads do not touch each other when placed on the child's chest. Placing one pad on the center of the chest and the other on the back can achieve this. This method is preferable to not using an AED at all, which could significantly lower the child's chances of survival in a cardiac emergency. Waiting for pediatric pads to arrive could lead to an unnecessary delay in treatment when immediate action is crucial. Decreasing the charge of the AED is not a commonly recommended practice, as the unit is designed to deliver a specific dose of energy determined by the manufacturer. In a scenario where adult pads are the only option, using them provides timely assistance and increases the likelihood of a positive outcome.