In pediatric cardiac arrest, for a child aged 1 day to 8 years, what is the recommended IV/IO epinephrine dose per dose?

• A. 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO
• B. 0.1 mg/kg IV/IO
• C. 1 mg IV/IO
• D. 0.001 mg/kg IV/IO

Answer: (A)

In pediatric cardiac arrest, the needed dose of epinephrine is based on the child’s weight and given IV or IO to boost perfusion during CPR. The recommended per-dose amount is 0.01 mg/kg, using the 1:10,000 concentration. This dose is chosen to increase coronary and cerebral perfusion pressure without causing excessive vasoconstriction. For example, a 10 kg child would receive 0.1 mg per dose (0.01 mg/kg × 10 kg), which corresponds to about 0.7 mL of the 1:10,000 solution. Doses that are ten times higher or lower would be inappropriate for IV/IO administration in this setting.