A 3-year-old child presents in cardiac arrest. The resuscitation team is administering epinephrine. According to current PALS guidelines, what is the recommended IV/IO dose of epinephrine for pediatric cardiac arrest?

• A 0.1 mg/kg (1:10,000 solution) every 3–5 minutes
• B 0.01 mg/kg (1:10,000 solution) every 3–5 minutes ✓
• C 0.01 mg/kg (1:1,000 solution) every 10 minutes
• D 0.1 mg/kg (1:1,000 solution) every 5 minutes

Explanation

PALS guidelines recommend epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO (equivalent to 0.1 mL/kg of the 1:10,000 solution) every 3–5 minutes during pediatric cardiac arrest. Higher doses (0.1 mg/kg) are not recommended routinely and have not been shown to improve outcomes. The 1:1,000 concentration is reserved for intramuscular administration in anaphylaxis, not cardiac arrest.

Reference: Ghai Essential Pediatrics, 10th ed.

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