Neonatal Bacillus cereus: an unusual case of congenital pneumonia requiring ECMO.

A term neonate presented with cyanosis from birth, with refractory hypoxaemia despite intubation, administration of 100% oxygen and inhaled nitric oxide. Structural congenital heart disease was excluded. He developed profuse pulmonary haemorrhage at 6 hours of life with worsening hypoxia and was transferred to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for initiation of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO). Endotracheal aspirates from both the birth hospital and the PICU were positive for Bacillus cereus, with all other investigations finding no alternative cause for his presentation. Of note, mother was a practising veterinarian raising another potential source of exposure to this pathogen. A full recovery occurred after a total of 5 days of vvECMO, 13 days of ventilation and 20 days of PICU stay.

Development of the Children's ACuTe UltraSound (CACTUS) point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)-accredited training in the UK: a descriptive study.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an established, evidence-supported tool that can be used in neonatal and paediatric medicine, offering clinicians immediate diagnostic insights, assessment of interventions and improved safety profiles and success rate of various procedures. Its effective use requires an established education programme, governance and standardisation to ensure competence in this skill. While adult clinical practice has established POCUS training protocols, this had not been replicated in paediatrics. This article describes the development and launch of the UK's inaugural accredited paediatric-specific POCUS curriculum and training pathway: the 'Children's ACuTe UltraSound' course, addressing this significant gap in paediatric healthcare education and describing the training delivered and available for paediatricians and allied health professionals working with children.