CACTUS Course

This is a one-day face-to-face course focused in acute and critical care point-of-care ultrasound in children.

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is the bedside use of ultrasound to answer a specific diagnostic questions, assist with a procedure or track clinical progression.

The course is addressed at health professionals working in acute paediatrics, paediatric critical care and high dependency.

CACTUS logo

CACTUS (Children’s Acute Ultrasound) is a two-part training and accreditation program modelled on CUSIC and FICE but bespoke to paediatric intensive care, emergency medicine and acute paediatrics.

The program consists of a one-day course and subsequent competency development through practical skill acquisition, mentoring and accreditation at the POCUS trainee’s home institution or on a specific fellowship.

Course objectives

Lung POCUS

  • To understand basic physics and principles of ultrasound
  • Probe selection and image optimisation
  • Performance of systematic examination of lung and pleura
  • Recognition of normal thoracic structures and adjacent organs
  • Identification of US appearances of normal aerated lung
  • Recognition of pleural fluid
  • Use of ultrasound to exclude pneumothorax

Cardiac POCUS

  • Performance of systematic examination of heart & vessels
  • Recognition of normal cardiac structures and adjacent organs
  • Basic assessment on volume status and myocardial contractility
  • Assessment of pericardial effusion

Abdominal POCUS

  • Performance of systematic examination of all abdominal areas
  • Recognition of Normal Structures (liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder)
  • Recognition of intra-abdominal free fluid, full bladder, bowel peristalsis

Vascular POCUS

  • Identification of ultrasound appearances of normal vessels
  • Knowledge of the benefits of longitudinal and of transverse scanning
  • Understand the importance of two handed advancement, and the concept of “scanning the tip”

Course dates and availability

What delegates say about this course

Excellent hands on course. Faculty both knowledgeable and very approachable. Safe and comfortable learning environment.

Really good hints and practical stations.

Really superb course. Nurturing faculty. Plenty of time to practise skills in a step wise manner.

Hands on stations were brilliant. Loads of practice was great and we all saw a definite improvement throughout the day.

Really helpful day. Greatly improved my confidence to incorporate u/s guided cannulation in my day to day practice.