The school bell may signal the end of lessons, but for more than half a million Australian children each week, it doesn't mean the end of opportunities to be active.

A major Adelaide University study has found that outside school hours care services can play an important role in keeping children moving, with services that completed the Activated OSHC program showing substantial improvements in physical activity and screen time practices.

Many medical specialties now require graduating doctors to be skilled in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing patients and performing procedures. POCUS is a portable, ultrasound device used when fast, accurate decisions are necessary to make fast, accurate medical decisions. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lists this as an official milestone for graduation. Even though training is improving for its possible use in treating head, eye and nerve conditions, POCUS is only moderately by neurologists dealing with some  neurological conditions.

Ultrasound-guidance for procedures, such as lumbar puncture, is one application of POCUS.  Ultrasound assisted lumbar punctures (USLP) and ultrasound guidance for similar neuraxial procedures have been evaluated for safety and efficacy in other specialties. However, data supporting the use of this technique by neurologists and neurology trainees are limited.

In an editorial in the journal Neurology: Education, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine believe implementation of USLP in neurology could benefit the subsection of patients with the most challenging anatomy and urgent need for diagnostic clarity.