Accurate Clinical Diagnosis

As soon as you assess that a child or infant is experiencing a life-threatening event, perform CPR immediately through rescue breathing and chest compression. While it is important to recognize and respond to the specific cause of the problem, the time spent understanding the problem should not complicate the child or infant’s perfusion and oxygenation. You may simultaneously sustain breathing and circulation as you determine problems relating to respiratory arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia, shock, or cardiac arrest. PALS protocols for the aforementioned situations will be elaborated on later in this handbook.