Enhancing Pediatric Care With Lung and Intestinal Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Protocols, Training, and Practice Integration

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is transforming pediatric clinical care by enabling rapid, non-invasive assessment of respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions directly at the bedside. For respiratory illnesses, pulmonary ultrasound has demonstrated high diagnostic utility for pneumonia, bronchiolitis, pleural effusion, and pneumothorax in children, reducing reliance on ionizing radiation-based imaging. Similarly, intestinal ultrasound has gained traction as a valuable tool in diagnosing appendicitis, evaluating inflammatory bowel disease activity, identifying intussusception, and detecting acute abdominal conditions. Recent studies underline the effectiveness of both modalities in expediting diagnosis, guiding interventions, and improving outcomes, particularly in acute care settings. However, disparities in protocol standardization, operator training, and workflow integration persist, resulting in variation in diagnostic quality and limited widespread adoption.The need for integrated “lung–gut” POCUS strategies has become increasingly apparent, as many pediatric presentations involve overlapping respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. As evidence supporting combined protocols and interdisciplinary diagnostic frameworks grows, there remains a gap in the establishment of unified training curricula, validated assessment tools, and consistent implementation practices across clinical environments. While technological advances such as tele-ultrasound and AI-facilitated interpretation show promise, critical questions endure around governance, credentialing, and sustainability in routine pediatric services.This Research Topic aims to advance the integration of pulmonary and intestinal ultrasound in pediatric POCUS by exploring innovative clinical pathways, robust training and competency frameworks, and real-world implementation solutions. Key objectives include defining best practices for combined lung–gut ultrasound assessment, benchmarking educational models and standards, and identifying effective strategies for seamless workflow adoption across inpatient, emergency, critical care, and ambulatory settings.Within this Research Topic, the scope is limited to pediatric populations and focuses on both clinical applications and implementation science surrounding lung and intestinal POCUS. To promote comprehensive understanding, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Development and validation of combined lung–gut POCUS protocols for pediatric presentationso Comparative effectiveness of integrated POCUS versus traditional imaging modalitieso Training curricula, assessment methods, and competency frameworks for combined pulmonary and intestinal ultrasoundo Implementation strategies, barriers, facilitators, and governance structures for scaling pediatric POCUSo Multicenter surveys of lung and intestinal POCUS adoption and practice variationo Technical innovations, including tele-ultrasound and AI-assisted assessment for lung and bowel imaging Topic editors: Danilo Buonsenso, Yogen Singh, MD, FRCPCH, MA (Cantab), Monica Tei Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77803/enhancing-pediatric-care-with-lung-and-intestinal-point-of-care-ultrasound-protocols-training-and-practice-integration