CPEN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CPEN exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CPEN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CPEN Topics to Study (74)
✍️ Sample CPEN Questions & Answers
1. A 2-year-old is brought in by EMS after being found face-down in a backyard pool. Resuscitation is in progress. Which temperature management consideration is important in pediatric submersion victims?
Cold water submersion can provide neuroprotection; the principle 'not dead until warm and dead' applies, and resuscitation should continue until the patient is rewarmed to near-normal temperature.
2. A 10 kg toddler requires dopamine at 10 mcg/kg/min. Using a standard concentration of 400 mcg/mL, what is the infusion rate in mL/hr?
Rate (mL/hr) = (10 mcg/kg/min × 10 kg × 60 min) ÷ 400 mcg/mL = 6000 ÷ 400 = 15 mL/hr.
3. What is the value of continuing education in gastrointestinal emergencies for CPEN professionals?
Continuing education ensures professionals stay current with the latest developments, standards, and best practices in their field.
4. A symptomatic child with complete heart block and a heart rate of 35 bpm should initially be treated with:
Atropine is the first pharmacologic intervention for symptomatic bradycardia with a perfusing rhythm before pacing.
5. A 4-year-old who swallowed a coin has it confirmed by X-ray to be in the stomach. The child is asymptomatic. What is the recommended management?
Coins in the stomach of asymptomatic children will pass spontaneously in most cases and require only observation with follow-up imaging if not passed within 4 weeks.
6. A 15-year-old presents with thunderclap headache — worst of life, sudden onset. After a negative CT, the NEXT step is:
CT misses ~2% of subarachnoid hemorrhages; LP detecting xanthochromia or blood in CSF is essential when CT is negative after thunderclap headache.