CVA
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Cerebrovascular accident |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
CVA has two meanings. It stands for Cerebrovascular accident (neurology) or Costovertebral angle (anatomy).
Meanings of CVA at a glance
| # | CVA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerebrovascular accident | Medical › Neurology |
| 2 | Costovertebral angle | Medical › Anatomy |
1. Cerebrovascular accident
Medical · Neurology Abbreviations
Traditional medical term for a stroke: sudden loss of brain function caused by blocked blood flow (ischemic stroke, about 87 percent of cases) or bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke). About 795,000 strokes occur in the United States each year, and stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability.
Example: PMH: CVA in 2020 with residual left hemiparesis, on clopidogrel and atorvastatin.
Stroke organizations, including the American Stroke Association and the World Stroke Organization, discourage "accident" because strokes have identifiable causes and are largely preventable; "stroke" and specific terms such as acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage are now preferred, and "brain attack" was promoted to convey the urgency of a heart attack. CVA persists on problem lists, billing forms and older records. In a kidney exam, "CVA tenderness" means costovertebral angle tenderness, which is unrelated.
2. Costovertebral angle
Medical · Anatomy Abbreviations
Angle on each side of the back formed by the twelfth rib and the lumbar spine, overlying the kidney. Tenderness when the area is tapped (CVA tenderness) suggests kidney inflammation, especially pyelonephritis, or an obstructing stone.
Example: Fever, dysuria and right CVA tenderness; treating as pyelonephritis.
Charted as "CVAT" or "no CVA tenderness". The tap is done gently with the ulnar side of a closed fist. In most clinical notes CVA means cerebrovascular accident (stroke), so a finding described on the back points to the anatomic meaning.
Related abbreviations
More neurology abbreviations
- CP – Cerebral palsy
- CPP – Cerebral perfusion pressure
- CSC – Comprehensive stroke center
- CTE – Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- CVST – Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
- DAI – Diffuse axonal injury
- DBS – Deep brain stimulation
- DCI – Delayed cerebral ischemia
See all 131 neurology abbreviations →
More anatomy abbreviations
- CFA – Common femoral artery
- CMC – Carpometacarpal (joint)
- CN – Cranial nerve
- CNS – Central nervous system
- DIP – Distal interphalangeal (joint)
- DP – Dorsalis pedis (artery or pulse)
- DRG – Dorsal root ganglion
- EAC – External auditory canal
See all 70 anatomy abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.