Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Objectives In recent years, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of neonatal point of care lung ultrasound (LU) as a valuable tool in the management of the unwell neonate. 1 LU can provide indispensable information for a more individualised and physiology-based approach to the patient. Despite the growing interest in learning this skill, a national neonatal LU accreditation has not been agreed. 2 Here we describe the educational resource developed in our level 3 neonatal unit to support trainees in gaining competencies in LU during their tertiary neonatal placement. Methods We mapped the interest in learning LU skills through a questionnaire sent to doctors working in our level 3 neonatal unit. We reviewed the structure of the available UK based LU courses. FUSIC (Focussed Ultrasound in Intensive Care) and CACTUS (Children Acute Thoracic Ultrasound) provide national accreditation on the use of LU in the adult and paediatric population, respectively. Their training modules are based on a combination of lectures and a number of supervised and unsupervised scans. NeoFOCUS-UK is a group supporting the implementation of point of care ultrasound in neonatology. 2 The group highlights the importance of developing neonatal LU courses, suggesting a 3-tiers learning curriculum for neonatal trainees. Formal neonatal accreditation is however not available at present. Results The questionnaire confirmed a wide interest in learning LU skills among trainees at all levels of seniority. We developed a training package encompassing face-to-face teaching, guideline, videos, and logbook: The modular teaching is led by a consultant who has completed CACTUS accreditation and has more than 5 years of experience in LU in neonates. The guideline outlines the main indications for LU, and includes a series of pictoral depiction of normal lungs and common lung pathologies. The video tutorial outlines how to use the ultrasound machine, how to perform LU and how the most common lung conditions look like. The logbook is an evidence of the trainee's practical skills. This includes a number of supervised 5 and unsupervised 15 scans which are assesed by a trained professional. Conclusion This training resource has been well received, allowing the implementation of the use of LU in our neonatal unit. We believe a similar approach would be beneficial for the diffusion and implementation of LU training in various neonatal units across the country. References Singh Y Tissot C, Fraga MV, Yousef N, Cortes RG, Lopez J, Sanchez-de-Toledo J, Brierley J, Colunga JM, Raffaj D, Da Cruz E, Durand P, Kenderessy P, Lang HJ, Nishisaki A, Kneyber MC, Tissieres P, Conlon TW, De Luca D. International evidence-based guidelines on point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for critically ill neonates and children issued by the POCUS working group of the European society of paediatric and neonatal intensive care (ESPNIC). Crit Care 2020 Feb 24;24 (1): 65. Meau-Petit V, Montasser M, Milan A. Neonatal lung ultrasound in the UK: a framework for practice. Global paediatrics 2023 March 11: 100040.
Dongre et al. (Tue,) studied this question.