Introduction

Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) refers to a set of guidelines and skills for effectively recognizing and managing cardiopulmonary arrest in infants and children. Cardiac arrest in the pediatric population is an uncommon but critical event, with only around 7% of out-of-hospital and 27-33% of in-hospital arrests surviving to hospital discharge. As members of code blue teams and rapid response teams, pharmacists play a vital role in responding to pediatric arrests and implementing PALS protocols. Key aspects of PALS include early recognition of respiratory failure and shock, high-quality CPR, proper medication dosing and administration, dysrhythmia management, and post-resuscitation care. Recent PALS updates provide more flexibility for advanced airway devices, highlight the importance of team dynamics, and incorporate new technologies like end-tidal CO2 monitoring. This subtopic will cover the epidemiology, pathophysiology, major guidelines, core skills, and pharmacist considerations relevant to PALS. Critical areas include respiratory failure, shock, airway management, vascular access, cardiac rhythms, arrest algorithms, medication administration, special arrest situations, and post-resuscitation care. A strong understanding of PALS helps pharmacists optimize cardiopulmonary resuscitation and improve outcomes in this high-risk population.