Knowing the anatomy of our medical equipment makes using it in different ways so much easier. Here is an into to the anatomy of the BVM. 

How do we know which patients need to actually have the clot mechanically retrieved? This decision could be huge in regards to patient neurological outcome. There are several screening tools available. The RACE is the only large vessel occlusion (LVO) screen that is validated.  In this podcast Brandon Means and I discuss the cortical signs of LVO, and how you can modify your current stroke screen to detect these.

I wanted to expound on this a little more and discuss my thoughts on when it makes sense to give sodium bicarbonate to a patient in a metabolic acidosis. Check out the show notes for further reading and pics.

My goal was to create a start-to-finish checklist that hit all the important points. Not only did I want the clinicians to have it in the field, but I wanted them to do competencies on a standardized system on a regular basis. I felt it important that they are tested on the exact same points in training as they see on their clinical form - so that we only have one form to memorize. One thing is for sure... Whatever way people train to do a skill, they will surely practice it the same way under times of stress.

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This is the video to go along with podcast 58 demonstrating the techniques discussed. 

We all have grown to love the bougie, and many are rightfully utilizing it on their first attempt to optimize success. However, just like we found with the cool kid ketamine, if not done right you can meet some difficulty. The tool is only as good as its handler. In this podcast we will discuss a few tips, tricks, and pitfalls of becoming a bad@$$-bougie-master.

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