CVAT
Medical abbreviation · Patient Assessment
| Stands for | Costovertebral angle tenderness |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
CVAT stands for Costovertebral angle tenderness, a patient assessment abbreviation.
Pain when the area over the kidney, where the lowest rib meets the spine, is pressed or tapped with a fist. It suggests kidney inflammation or obstruction, such as pyelonephritis or a kidney stone.
Example: Fever 39.0, dysuria, positive right CVAT; urinalysis and culture sent.
Usage notes
Also written CVA tenderness, which can confuse readers because CVA also means cerebrovascular accident (stroke). Tapping the back over the kidney is called percussion for CVAT or the Murphy punch sign. Musculoskeletal back pain can produce false positives.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- CMS – Circulation, motion, sensation
- COWS – Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
- CPOT – Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool
- CRT – Capillary refill time
- CTA – Clear to auscultation
- CTAB – Clear to auscultation bilaterally
- EOMI – Extraocular movements intact
- FLACC – Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability
- GCS – Glasgow Coma Scale
- HC – Head circumference
- HEENT – Head, eyes, ears, nose, throat
- HR – Heart rate
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.