AHA Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Practice Exam 2025 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Using adult AED pads on a 5-year-old child is appropriate and often necessary when pediatric pads are not available. The fundamental principle is that engaging an AED is crucial in a cardiac arrest situation, regardless of the pad size. Adult pads can still deliver an effective shock and may provide a life-saving intervention for the child.

The adult pads have a larger surface area, which can still fit on a child's torso and effectively deliver a shock if needed. While pediatric pads are designed to reduce the shock dose for younger children to minimize potential cardiac injury, the lifesaving benefits of an immediate shock via adult pads outweigh the risks when no alternative is available.

Waiting for pediatric pads or a manual defibrillator could delay essential care, which can be critical in child resuscitation scenarios where every second counts. Providing immediate defibrillation, even if it is with adult pads, greatly increases the chance of survival and effectiveness of the intervention.