A training program for obstetrics point-of-care ultrasound to 514 rural healthcare providers in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound is a crucial and effective diagnostic tool in medicine. Recent advancements in technology have led to increased use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Access to ultrasound equipment and training programs in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for universal antenatal ultrasounds, POCUS for reproductive health applications has not been widely used in LMICs. We describe here the feasibility of implementation of a training of obstetrics point-of-care ultrasound (OB POCUS) for high-risk conditions in rural public healthcare facilities in Kenya with partnership from Butterfly Network, Global Ultrasound Institute, and Kenyatta University. METHODS: As part of the initiation of a large-scale implementation study of OB POCUS, clinician trainees were recruited from rural Kenyan hospitals for participation in a series of five-day POCUS workshops held between September and December 2022. Trainers provided brief didactic lessons followed by hands-on training with live models and at regional clinical sites for 5 OB POCUS applications. Instructor-observed assessment of students' scanning and image interpretation occurred over the training period. Assessment of knowledge and confidence was performed via an online pre-test and post-test as well as Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was administered at course completion. RESULTS: Five hundred and fourteen mid-level Health Care Providers (HCPs) in Kenya were trained over a three-month period through in-person didactic sessions, bedside instruction, and clinical practice over a 5-day period with a trainer: trainee ratio of approximately 1:5. Out of the 514 trained HCPs, 468 were from 8 rural counties with poor maternal and neonatal outcomes, while the remaining 46 were from nearby facilities. OB POCUS topics covered included: malpresentation, multiple gestation, fetal cardiac activity, abnormalities of the placenta and amniotic fluid volume. There was marked improvement in the post training test scores compared to the pretest scores. CONCLUSION: Our implementation description serves as a guide for successful rapid dissemination of OB POCUS training for mid-level providers. Our experience demonstrates the feasibility of a short intensive POCUS training to rapidly establish specific POCUS skills in efforts to rapidly scale POCUS access and services. There is a widespread need for expanding access to ultrasound in pregnancy through accessible OB POCUS training programs. An implementation study is currently underway to assess the patient and systems-level impact of the training.

Comparison of bedside screening methods for frailty assessment in older adult trauma patients in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is linked to poor outcomes in older patients. We prospectively compared the utility of the picture-based Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS9), clinical assessments, and ultrasound muscle measurements against the reference FRAIL scale in older adult trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample of adults 65 yrs. or older with blunt trauma and injury severity scores <9. We queried subjects (or surrogates) on the FRAIL scale, and compared this to: physician-based and subject/surrogate-based CFS9; mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and grip strength; and ultrasound (US) measures of muscle thickness (limbs and abdominal wall). We derived optimal diagnostic thresholds and calculated performance metrics for each comparison using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC). RESULTS: Fifteen of 65 patients were frail by FRAIL scale (23%). CFS9 performed well when assessed by subject/surrogate (AUROC 0.91 [95% CI 0.84-0.98] or physician (AUROC 0.77 [95% CI 0.63-0.91]. Optimal thresholds for both physician and subject/surrogate were CFS9 of 4 or greater. If both physician and subject/surrogate provided scores <4, sensitivity and negative predictive value were 90.0% (54.1-99.5%) and 95.0% (73.1-99.7%). Grip strength and MUAC were not predictors. US measures that combined biceps and quadriceps thickness showed an AUROC of 0.75 compared to the reference standard. CONCLUSION: The ED needs rapid, validated tools to screen for frailty. The CFS9 has excellent negative predictive value in ruling out frailty. Ultrasound of combined biceps and quadriceps has modest concordance as an alternative in trauma patients who cannot provide a history.

Point-of-care ultrasound education for non-physician clinicians in a resource-limited emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcomes and curriculum components of an educational programme to train non-physician clinicians working in a rural, Ugandan emergency department in the use of POC ultrasound. METHODS: The use of point-of-care ultrasound was taught to emergency care providers through lectures, bedsides teaching and hands-on practical sessions. Lectures were tailored to care providers' knowledge base and available therapeutic means. Every ultrasound examination performed by these providers was recorded over 4.5 years. Findings of these examinations were categorised as positive, negative, indeterminate or procedural. Other radiologic studies ordered over this same time period were also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 22,639 patients were evaluated in the emergency department by emergency care providers, and 2185 point-of-care ultrasound examinations were performed on 1886 patients. Most commonly used were the focused assessment with sonography in trauma examination (53.3%) and echocardiography (16.4%). Point-of-care ultrasound studies were performed more frequently than radiology department-performed studies. Positive findings were documented in 46% of all examinations. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a novel curriculum for point-of-care ultrasound education of non-physician emergency practitioners in a resource-limited setting. These non-physician clinicians integrated ultrasound into clinical practice and utilised this imaging modality more frequently than traditional radiology department imaging with a large proportion of positive findings.

The ultrasound-guided "peripheral IJ": internal jugular vein catheterization using a standard intravenous catheter.

BACKGROUND: Obtaining vascular access is difficult in certain patients. When routine peripheral venous catheterization is not possible, several alternatives may be considered, each with its own strengths and limitations. DISCUSSION: We describe a novel technique for establishing vascular access in Emergency Department (ED) patients: the placement of a standard catheter-over-needle device into the internal jugular vein using real-time ultrasound guidance. We present a series of patients for whom this procedure was performed after other attempts at vascular access were unsuccessful. In all cases, the procedure was performed quickly and without complications. CONCLUSION: Although further study of this technique is required, we believe this procedure may be a valuable option for ED patients requiring rapid vascular access.

ED point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of ankle fractures in children.

In pediatric ankle injury, radiography is the current standard used to differentiate fracture from ligamentous injury; however, the associated cost, increased time, and radiation exposure pose a significant downside to this imaging modality. Point-of-care ultrasound may be an attractive alternative in this setting, as illustrated by this patient case. A 14-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a left ankle inversion injury sustained while playing soccer. An emergency physician performed ultrasound examination that revealed findings consistent with a nondisplaced Salter-Harris I fracture of the distal fibula. The results of a formal radiograph confirmed this diagnosis. This case report presents the successful use of point-of-care ultrasound for detection of a Salter-Harris I ankle fracture, describes a stepwise approach for this new diagnostic technique in detail, and discusses its value in the setting of pediatric ankle injury.

Accuracy of emergency physicians using ultrasound measurement of crown-rump length to estimate gestational age in pregnant females.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of emergency providers (EPs) of various levels of training in determination of gestational age (GA) in pregnant patients using bedside ultrasound measurement of crown-rump length (CRL). METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study of patients in obstetrical care at an urban county hospital. We enrolled a convenience sample of women at 6 to 14 weeks gestation as estimated by last menstrual period. Emergency providers used ultrasound to measure the CRL. Repeat CRL measurements were performed by either an obstetrical ultrasound technician or senior obstetrician and used as the criterion standard for true GA (TGA). RESULTS: One hundred five patients were evaluated by 20 providers of various levels of training. The average time required to complete the CRL measurement was 85 seconds. When CRL measurements performed by EPs were compared with the TGAs, the average correlation was 0.935 (0.911-0.959). Using standard accepted variance for CRL measurements at different GAs according to the obstetrics literature (±3 days for 42-70 days and ±5 days for 70-90 days), correlation between EP ultrasound and measured TGA was 0.947 (0.927-0.967). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency providers can quickly and accurately determine GA in first-trimester pregnancies using bedside ultrasound to calculate the CRL. Emergency providers should consider using ultrasound to calculate the CRL in patients with first-trimester bleeding or pain because this estimated GA may serve as a valuable data point for the future care of that pregnancy.

Ultrasound assessment of optic disc edema in patients with headache.

Point-of-care ocular ultrasonography is emerging as a powerful tool to evaluate emergency department (ED) patients at risk for ophthalmologic and intracranial pathology.We present cases of 3 patients in whom optic disc swelling was identified using ocular ultrasound. Causes for optic disc swelling in our patients included idiopathic intracranial hypertension, secondary syphilis, and malignant hypertension with associated hypertensive retinopathy. Because direct visualization of the optic disc may be challenging in an ED setting, ultrasound examination of the optic disc may represent an important adjunct to fundoscopy when assessing patients with headache or visual complaints.

Fentanyl in the out-of-hospital setting: variables associated with hypotension and hypoxemia.

BACKGROUND: Previous out-of-hospital fentanyl analgesia studies are limited by retrospective nature or low numbers. STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study sought to prospectively assess fentanyl safety in a large out-of-hospital group, to identify variables associated with post-fentanyl hypotension (HN; systolic blood pressure [SBP] < 90) or hypoxemia (HX; SpO(2) < 90%). METHODS: As part of a new protocol requiring documentation of peri-dose vital signs and adverse effects associated with fentanyl bolus doses, our Emergency Medical Services helicopter service assessed 500 consecutive patients receiving fentanyl from July through September 2006. By a priori plan, we assessed HN and HX descriptively (median with interquartile range, exact confidence intervals [CIs]) and with multivariate regression. RESULTS: In 1055 patients, post-fentanyl HN was noted 52 times (4.9%), being a continuation of pre-fentanyl HN in 24 patients (46.2%); HN was new in 28 patients (2.7% of 1055, 95% CI 1.8-3.8%). Regression showed no association between dependent variables HN (assessed for 1055 doses) or HX (528 doses in non-intubated) and independent variables age, diagnosis, gender, scene/inter-facility mission, dose, or total transport dose. Pre-and post-fentanyl SpO(2) means were unchanged: 98.8% (95% CI 98.5-98.9) vs. 98.6% (95% CI 98.3-99.0), respectively. Post-fentanyl HN was seen in patients with pre-fentanyl intubation (odds ratio [OR] 5.3, p = 0.002) and with pre-fentanyl low SBP (OR 40, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In a closely monitored out-of-hospital population, fentanyl incurs a low risk of significant hypoxemia. The risk of fentanyl-associated hypotension is also very low, but difficult to predict in the absence of acuity markers such as pre-existing hypotension.

Back to the bedside: the 8-year evolution of a resident-as-teacher rotation.

BACKGROUND: Teaching our residents to teach is a vital responsibility of Emergency Medicine (EM) residency programs. As emergency department (ED) overcrowding may limit the ability of attending physicians to provide bedside instruction, senior residents are increasingly asked to assume this role for more junior trainees. Unfortunately, a recent survey suggests that only 55% of all residencies provide instruction in effective teaching methods. Without modeling from attending physicians, many residents struggle with this responsibility. OBJECTIVES: We introduced a "Resident-as-Teacher" curriculum in 2002 as a means to address a decline in bedside instruction and provide our senior residents with a background in effective teaching methods. DISCUSSION: Here, we describe the evolution of this resident-as-teacher rotation, outline its current structure, cite potential pitfalls and solutions, and discuss the unique addition of a teach-the-teacher curriculum. CONCLUSION: A resident-as-teacher rotation has evolved into a meaningful addition to our senior residents' training, fostering their growth as educators and addressing our need for bedside instruction.

Ultrasound at labour triage in eastern Uganda: A mixed methods study of patient perceptions of care and providers' implementation experience.

In settings where antenatal ultrasound is not offered routinely, ultrasound use when a woman first presents to the maternity ward for labour (i.e., triage) may be beneficial. This study investigated patients' perceptions of care and providers' experience with ultrasound implementation during labour triage at a district referral hospital (DH) and three primary health centers (HC) in eastern Uganda. This was a mixed methods study comprising questionnaires administered to women and key informant interviews among midwives pre- and post-ultrasound introduction. Bivariate analyses were conducted using chi-square tests. Qualitative themes were categorized as (1) workflow integration; (2) impact on clinical processes; (3) patient response to ultrasound; and (4) implementation barriers. A total of 731 and 815 women completed questionnaires from the HCs and DH, respectively. At the HC-level, triage quality of care, satisfaction and recommendation ratings increased with implementation of ultrasound. In contrast, satisfaction and recommendation ratings did not differ upon ultrasound introduction at the DH, whereas perceived triage quality of care increased. Most participants noted a perceived improvement in midwives' experience and knowledge upon introduction of ultrasound. Women who underwent a scan also reported diverse feelings, such as fear or worry about their delivery, fear of harm due to the ultrasound, or relief after knowing the baby's condition. For the midwives' perspective (n = 14), respondents noted that ultrasound led to more accurate diagnoses (e.g., fetal position, heart rate, multiple gestation) and improved decision-making. However, they noted health system barriers to ultrasound implementation, such as increased workload, not enough ultrasound-trained providers, and irregular electricity. While triage ultrasound in this context was seen as beneficial to mothers and useful in providers' clinical assessments, further investigation around provider-patient communication, system-level challenges, and fears or misconceptions among women are needed.

Midwife-performed checklist and ultrasound to identify obstetric conditions at labour triage in Uganda: A quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a midwife-performed checklist and limited obstetric ultrasound on sensitivity and positive predictive value for a composite outcome comprising multiple gestation, placenta praevia, oligohydramnios, preterm birth, malpresentation, abnormal foetal heart rate. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study. SETTING: Maternity unit at a district hospital in Eastern Uganda. INTERVENTIONS: Interventions were implemented in a phased approach: standardised labour triage documentation (Phase 1), a triage checklist (Phase 2), and checklist plus limited obstetric ultrasound (Phase 3). PARTICIPANTS: Consenting women presenting to labour triage for admission after 28 weeks of gestation between February 2018 and June 2019 were eligible. Women not in labour or those requiring immediate care were excluded. 3,865 women and 3,937 newborns with similar sample sizes per phase were included in the analysis. MEASUREMENT AND FINDINGS: Outcome data after birth were used to determine true presence of a complication, while intake and checklist data were used to inform diagnosis before birth. Compared to Phase 1, Phase 2 and 3 interventions improved sensitivity (Phase 1: 47%, Phase 2: 68.8%, Phase 3: 73.5%; p ≤ 0.001) and reduced positive predictive value (65.9%, 55%, 48.7%, p ≤ 0.001) for the composite outcome. No phase differences in adverse maternal or foetal outcomes were observed. CONCLUSION: Both a triage checklist and a checklist plus limited obstetric ultrasound improved accurate identification of cases with some increase in false positive diagnosis. These interventions may be beneficial in a resource-limited maternity triage setting to improve midwives' diagnoses and clinical decision-making.

A Lung Ultrasound Scanning Technique for Children and Adults in Low-Resource Settings: Preliminary Experiences in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lung ultrasound is increasingly used as a diagnostic tool for pulmonary pathologies by nonspecialist clinicians in resource-limited settings where chest X-ray may not be readily available. However, the optimal technique for lung ultrasound in these settings is not yet clearly defined. We describe here our experience of implementing a standardized, focused six-zone, 12-view lung ultrasound scanning technique with a high-frequency probe in both adults and children in a resource-limited setting in sub-Saharan Africa. Our experience suggests that this may be a feasible technique to rapidly introduce lung ultrasound to new learners that can be adapted to emergency or outbreak settings. However, research is needed to determine how this technique compares with clinical examination and other available tests for the diagnosis of pathology commonly encountered in resource-limited settings.

Effect of a labor triage checklist and ultrasound on obstetric referral at three primary health centers in Eastern Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether introduction of a midwife-performed triage checklist and focused ultrasound improves diagnosis and referral for obstetric conditions, including multiple gestation, placenta previa, oligohydramnios, preterm birth, malpresentation, and abnormal fetal heart rate. METHODS: We implemented an intake log (Phase 1), a checklist (Phase 2), and a checklist plus ultrasound scan (Phase 3) at three primary health centers in Eastern Uganda for women presenting in labor. Intake diagnoses, referral status, and delivery outcomes were assessed, as well as sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). RESULTS: Between February 2018 and July 2019, 1155, 961, and 603 women were enrolled across the three phases (n=2719); 2339 had outcome data. Incidence of any outcome-confirmed condition was 8.8%, 7.9%, and 7.1% (P=0.526) for each phase, respectively. The proportion of referred women with a condition did not change between Phases 1 and 2 (7.8% versus 8.6%, P=0.855), but increased in Phase 3 (48.4%, P<0.001). Sensitivity improved with each intervention; PPV decreased with ultrasound. CONCLUSION: Use of ultrasound plus checklist increased referrals and sensitivity for high-risk conditions, with decreased PPV. The checklist alone improved correct diagnosis, but not referral. Further evaluation of these triage interventions to maximize diagnostic accuracy, referral decisions, and outcomes are warranted.

Ultrasound assessment of extraocular movements and pupillary light reflex in ocular trauma.

We present the case of a 26-year-old man with significant periorbital trauma after blunt head trauma. Ultrasound techniques for evaluation of extraocular movements and pupillary light reflex are described as a proposed adjunct to physical examination and manual retraction of the eyelids.

Accuracy of emergency physicians using ultrasound to determine gestational age in pregnant women.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid and accurate determination of gestational age may be vital to the appropriate care of the critically ill pregnant patient. Before the use of emergency ultrasound, physical examination of fundal height (FH) in the nonverbal patient was considered the quickest method to estimate gestational age. We conducted a prospective, observational study of the performance of bedside sonography to determine gestational age. METHODS: We enrolled a convenience sample of women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Emergency physicians (EPs) made ultrasound measurements of fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) and femur length, followed by a measurement of FH. These measurements were compared with true gestational age (TGA), sonography by an ultrasound technician, and measurement of FH performed by an obstetrician. Main outcome measures were the average time needed to complete measurements; correlation coefficients between EP measurements and those made by an ultrasound technician, an obstetrician, and TGA, and overall accuracy to determine fetal age greater than 24 weeks. RESULTS: The average time to complete ultrasound measurements was less than 1 minute. When physician-performed measurements were compared with TGA, the correlation coefficients were 0.947 (0.926-0.968) for BPD, 0.957 (0.941-0.973) for femur length, and 0.712 (0.615-0.809) for FH. When determining fetal viability, EP's overall accuracy was 96% using ultrasound and 80% using FH. CONCLUSIONS: With brief training, EPs can quickly and accurately determine gestational age using ultrasound, and these estimates may be more accurate than those obtained through physical examination. Emergency physicians should consider using ultrasound in emergent evaluation of pregnant patients who are unable to provide history.

Efficacy of an ultrasound training program for nurse midwives to assess high-risk conditions at labor triage in rural Uganda.

Many high-risk conditions of pregnancy are undetected until the time of delivery in low-income countries. We developed a point-of-care ultrasound training protocol for providers in rural Uganda to detect fetal distress or demise, malpresentation, multiple gestation, placenta previa, oligohydramnios and preterm delivery. This was a mixed-methods study to evaluate the 2-week training curriculum and trainees' ability to perform a standard scanning protocol and interpret ultrasound images. Surveys to assess provider confidence were administered pre-training, immediately after, and at 3-month follow up. Following lecture and practical demonstrations, each trainee conducted 25 proctored scans and were required to pass an observed structured clinical exam (OSCE). All images produced 8 weeks post course underwent blinded review by two ultrasound experts to assess image quality and to identify common errors. Key informant interviews further assessed perceptions of the training program and utility of point-of-care ultrasound. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and reviewed by multiple readers using a content analysis approach. Twenty-three nurse/nurse midwives and two physicians from one district hospital and three health centers participated in the training curriculum. Confidence levels increased from an average of 1 point pre-course to over 6 points post-course for all measures (maximum of 7 points). Of 25 participants, 22 passed the OSCE on the first attempt (average score 89.4%). Image quality improved over time; the final error rate at week 8 was less than 5%, with an overall kappa of 0.8-1 for all measures between the two reviewers. Among the 12 key informant interviews conducted, key themes included a desire for more hands-on training and longer duration of training and challenges in balancing clinical duties with ability to attend training sessions. This study demonstrates that providers without previous ultrasound experience can detect high-risk conditions during labor with a high rate of quality and accuracy after training.

Ultrasound techniques to measure the optic nerve sheath: is a specialized probe necessary?

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been shown to correlate with intracranial pressure (ICP). This study looked at intra-observer and inter-observer reliability among three emergency physicians (EPs) using three different imaging protocols. MATERIAL/METHODS: Ocular ultrasound was performed in 20 healthy volunteers. Each physician obtained 3 measurements of the right eye ONSD with both the 10-5 MHz and 13-6 MHz probes using the axial imaging technique (experiment 1). The ONSD was then measured with the 10-5 MHz probe using the axial technique and the intracavitary 8-5 MHz probe using the coronal technique (experiment 2). RESULTS: In experiment 1, larger measurements were obtained with the standard 10-5 MHz probe with an adjusted difference of 0.21 mm (p<0.001). The standard deviation between intra-observer measurements for the 10-5 MHz probe was slightly but not significantly larger with an adjusted difference of 0.039 (p=0.10). In experiment 2, larger measurements were obtained with the standard 10-5 MHz probe with an adjusted difference of 0.91 mm (p<0.001). The standard deviation between intra-observer measurements was greater for the 10-5 MHz probe with an adjusted difference of 0.06 (p=0.03). The inter-observer measurements in experiment 2 had significantly larger variance with the 10-5 MHz probe (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest comparable precision and inter-observer reliability can be achieved. However, larger values when using the 10-5 MHz probe suggest different cut-off thresholds for normal upper limits. The coronal imaging technique demonstrated less inter-rater variance and may be a better technique when such small measurement differences are important.

Impact of the introduction of ultrasound services in a limited resource setting: rural Rwanda 2008.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, utilization of ultrasound technology by non-radiologist physicians has grown. Recent advances in affordability, durability, and portability have brought ultrasound to the forefront as a sustainable and high impact technology for use in developing world clinical settings as well. However, ultrasound's impact on patient management plans, program sustainability, and which ultrasound applications are useful in this setting has not been well studied. METHODS: Ultrasound services were introduced at two rural Rwandan district hospitals affiliated with Partners in Health, a US nongovernmental organization. Data sheets for each ultrasound scan performed during routine clinical care were collected and analyzed to determine patient demographics, which ultrasound applications were most frequently used, and whether the use of the ultrasound changed patient management plans. Ultrasound scans performed by the local physicians during the post-training period were reviewed for accuracy of interpretation and image quality by an ultrasound fellowship trained emergency medicine physician from the United States who was blinded to the original interpretation. RESULTS: Adult women appeared to benefit most from the presence of ultrasound services. Of the 345 scans performed during the study period, obstetrical scanning was the most frequently used application. Evaluation of gestational age, fetal head position, and placental positioning were the most common findings. However, other applications used included abdominal, cardiac, renal, pleural, procedural guidance, and vascular ultrasounds.Ultrasound changed patient management plans in 43% of total patients scanned. The most common change was to plan a surgical procedure. The ultrasound program appears sustainable; local staff performed 245 ultrasound scans in the 11 weeks after the departure of the ultrasound instructor. Post-training scan review showed the concordance rate of interpretation between the Rwandese physicians and the ultrasound-trained quality review physicians was 96%. CONCLUSION: We suggest ultrasound is a useful modality that particularly benefits women's health and obstetrical care in the developing world. Ultrasound services significantly impact patient management plans especially with regards to potential surgical interventions. After an initial training period, it appears that an ultrasound program led by local health care providers is sustainable and lead to accurate diagnoses in a rural international setting.

Feasibility of Training Clinical Officers in Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Pediatric Respiratory Diseases in Aweil, South Sudan.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the leading cause of deaths in children < 5 years old worldwide, particularly affecting low-resource settings such as Aweil, South Sudan. In these settings, diagnosis can be difficult because of either lack of access to radiography or clinical algorithms that overtreat children with antibiotics who only have viral LRTIs. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been applied to LRTIs, but not by nonphysician clinicians, and with limited data from low-resource settings. Our goal was to examine the feasibility of training the mid-level provider cadre clinical officers (COs) in a Médecins Sans Frontières project in South Sudan to perform a POCUS algorithm to differentiate among causes of LRTI. Six COs underwent POCUS training, and each subsequently performed 60 lung POCUS studies on hospitalized pediatric patients < 5 years old with criteria for pneumonia. Two blinded experts, with a tiebreaker expert adjudicating discordant results, served as a reference standard to calculate test performance characteristics, assessed image quality and CO interpretation. The COs performed 360 studies. Reviewers rated 99.1% of the images acceptable and 86.0% CO interpretations appropriate. The inter-rater agreement (κ) between COs and experts for lung consolidation with air bronchograms was 0.73 (0.63-0.82) and for viral LRTI/bronchiolitis was 0.81 (0.74-0.87). It is feasible to train COs in South Sudan to use a POCUS algorithm to diagnose pneumonia and other pulmonary diseases in children < 5 years old.