Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Educational Pearls:  Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) is a condition where a clot blocks one of the major blood vessels in the brain, leading to a stroke. What are the vessels that can experience an LVO? Middle Cerebral artery (MCA) Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA) Posterior Cerebral Arteries (PCA) Basilar Artery (BA) Vertebral Arteries (VA) What are the locations at which a mechanical thrombectomy can be performed as a treatment for an LVO? Distal ICA, M1 or M2 segments of the MCA, A1 or A2 segments of the ACA, and some evidence for the BA. What are the symptoms of LVO? Use the mnemonic FANG-D to remember a few key symptoms: Field Cut (A person loses vision in a portion of their visual field) Aphasia (Difficulty speaking) Neglect (A person may have difficulty paying attention to or acknowledging stimuli on the affected side of their body or in their environment. For example, a person with neglect may deny that their left hand belongs to them) Gaze Deviat