Pediatric EMS
Peds is ~15% of the NREMT exam and the single most common area candidates report struggling with. Master the assessment triangle and you'll cover half of it.
EMT · AEMT · Paramedic
Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)
Appearance, Work of breathing, Circulation to skin. A 5-second look — before you ever touch the child.
Respiratory distress vs failure
Distress: increased work of breathing, alert. Failure: fatigue, decreased effort, altered — assist ventilations immediately.
Common pediatric emergencies
Croup, epiglottitis (rare), bronchiolitis, asthma, febrile seizures, and pediatric trauma. Kids compensate — until they don't.
Frequently asked
- What's the biggest difference between adult and pediatric cardiac arrest?
- Pediatric arrest is almost always respiratory in origin. Fix the airway and oxygenation aggressively, and many pediatric arrests reverse.
Test yourself
Practice on this topic.
Free 10-question sample or build a custom quiz on pediatric ems.