Click here for a machine generated transcript. BEFAST is the pneumonic device English speakers can use to recognize most strokes. Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time to call an ambulance. But what if you speak Spanish instead of English? BE FAST doesn't directly translate well. So how can you recognize a stroke? PhD Research Scientist and EMS expert Dr. Remle Crowe and two of her colleagues worked on this problem over the past year. They came up with the Spanish pneumonic AHORA. Ahora translates to Now which captures the same urgency. In this episode we talk about the evolution of the pneumonic, the ethnic disparities in stroke in the US, the EMS system in Mexico, and how we can use data to improve patient outcomes. Oh, and tacos. Tacos are very important. Bio Dr. Remle Crowe is an expert in EMS research and quality improvement. From truck clutches to clinical care, she has shown how research and improvement science work to solve problems across fields. Prior to earning a PhD in Epidemiology, her EMS career began with the Red Cross in Mexico City as a volunteer EMT. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications related to prehospital care and the EMS workforce. Now, as a research scientist with ESO, Dr. Crowe routinely uses EMS data to improve community health and safety. AHORA Means Now Here is the stroke warning pneumonic device in Spanish. Download it and share it far and wide. Let's look at a translation. And, of course, here is the BE FAST messaging for English speakers. Both sets of symptoms look for the same thing. The AHORA messaging includes legs and headaches. The BE FAST messaging specifically calls out calling an ambulance. Regardless, the more people that can recognize a stroke as it is happening, the better off we will all be. Ethnic Differences in Stroke Among the data we talked about was ethnic differences in stroke. For one thing, Hispanic folks who have a stroke are more likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke than non-Hispanic Caucasians. This is a big deal, because, while hemorrhagic strokes aren't as common in general as ischemic strokes, they are more likely to be fatal, and they may result in more severe deficits and disabilities. Additionally, Hispanic folks are more likely to have strokes at a younger age than non-Hispanic Caucasian folks. African Americans are also seeing higher stroke rates than Caucasians. As we talk through the data though, the key thing is that these differences are not biologically based. They're societally based. That means it's a problem that can be solved. It's just not easy. Additionally, it also turns out that when COVID-19 lock downs began happening EMS transport rates also declined more among non-white patients than it did for white folks. Jauja Cocina Mexicana on YouTube Remle talked about her favorite YouTube channel for Mexican food. You can  check that out here: https://youtu.be/uxb7qSNFkg8 Hack of the Week I have probably 10 or more hoodies in my wardrobe that I rotate through. By hoodie, I mean a zip-up sweatshirt with 2 pockets and, well, a hood. I didn't wear them nearly as often in the pre-stroke days, but now I find them super helpful. For a stroke survivor, hoodies offer these advantages. Playing/practicing with using the zipper is good exercise for an affected hand. The extra pockets are great even just around the home since I can't really access the pants pockets on my affected side. When my affected arm is tired or I just need to take some weight off my shoulder I can stick it in my pocket. When I want to take a quick nap, I can just pull the hood up over my head. It will block some light and tell (some) people to leave me alone. I suppose some