RA
Abbreviation with 11 meanings
| Stands for | Rheumatoid arthritis |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 11 |
| Categories | Medical, Education & Academia, Science & Engineering, Military, Transportation & Travel, Religion |
| Also written | Ra |
RA has 11 meanings. The most common are Rheumatoid arthritis (musculoskeletal & rheumatology) and Resident assistant (academic); it can also stand for Room air, Research assistant, Right atrium, Radium and Right ascension, plus 4 more listed below.
Meanings of RA at a glance
| # | RA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rheumatoid arthritis | Medical › Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology |
| 2 | Resident assistant | Education & Academia › Academic |
| 3 | Room air | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 4 | Research assistant | Education & Academia › Academic |
| 5 | Right atrium | Medical › Cardiology |
| 6 | Radium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
| 7 | Right ascension | Science & Engineering › Astronomy & Space |
| 8 | Registered Architect | Education & Academia › Professional Certification |
| 9 | Royal Artillery | Military › Military Unit and Organization |
| 10 | Resolution advisory | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
| 11 | Radiyallahu anhu (may God be pleased with him) | Religion › Religious Term |
1. Rheumatoid arthritis
Medical · Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations
Chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joint lining (synovium), typically causing symmetric pain, swelling and prolonged morning stiffness in the small joints of the hands and feet. Untreated, it erodes cartilage and bone and raises the risk of heart disease, lung disease and early death.
Example: Seropositive RA, anti-CCP high, DAS28-CRP 5.4 on methotrexate 20 mg weekly; add adalimumab.
RA affects roughly 0.5–1 percent of adults, women two to three times more often than men. Diagnosis draws on the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria, which weigh joint count, rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies, inflammatory markers and symptom duration. Early "treat-to-target" therapy, anchored by methotrexate and escalated to biologics or JAK inhibitors, has made joint deformities far less common. Extra-articular features include rheumatoid nodules, interstitial lung disease and vasculitis. In cardiology RA means right atrium, and on vital-sign charts room air, so rheumatology notes often spell it out at first mention.
2. Resident assistant
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Student, usually an upperclassman, who lives in a college residence hall and supports residents by building community, enforcing policies, mediating conflicts and responding to emergencies. RAs typically receive free or discounted housing and sometimes a meal plan or stipend.
Example: Our RA posted the floor meeting schedule and quiet hours on the bulletin board.
Some schools use resident advisor or community assistant (CA) instead, and Canadian universities often say "don". RAs are usually supervised by a full-time resident director (RD). Many colleges treat RAs as mandatory reporters for Title IX incidents. In research labs, RA instead means research assistant.
3. Room air
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Breathing ordinary air without supplemental oxygen, about 21 percent oxygen at sea level. Oxygen saturation readings are documented as being on RA or on a specific oxygen device and flow.
Example: SpO2 94% on RA at rest, 88% with ambulation; home oxygen evaluation ordered.
Recording whether a saturation was taken on room air is essential because 94 percent on room air and 94 percent on high-flow oxygen mean very different things. Weaning trials often end with "on RA" as the goal. Elsewhere in medicine RA means rheumatoid arthritis or right atrium.
4. Research assistant
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Person, usually a graduate or undergraduate student or a recent graduate, who works on a faculty member's research project by running experiments, collecting and analyzing data or reviewing literature. Graduate research assistantships often come with a stipend and tuition waiver funded by grants.
Example: The lab is hiring an RA to run participant sessions and clean survey data.
Full-time post-baccalaureate RA positions are a common step before applying to PhD programs or medical school. Graduate students funded this way may be called GRAs. In dormitories, RA usually means resident assistant, a completely different campus job.
5. Right atrium
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Upper chamber on the right side of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the superior and inferior venae cavae and the coronary sinus. It houses the sinoatrial node, the heart's natural pacemaker, and its pressure reflects overall right-sided filling.
Example: RA pressure estimated at 15 mmHg based on a dilated, noncollapsing IVC.
Right atrial pressure is estimated on echocardiography from IVC size and collapse and measured directly as CVP or during right heart catheterization. Typical atrial flutter circuits loop within the right atrium around the tricuspid valve. In respiratory notes RA means room air, and in rheumatology rheumatoid arthritis.
6. Radium (Ra)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
Radium (atomic number 88) is a radioactive alkaline earth metal whose compounds glow faintly. In the early 20th century it was painted on watch dials and added to quack tonics; the "Radium Girls," factory workers who shaped their brushes with their lips, suffered severe bone damage and sued their employers in the 1920s.
Example: Antique dials painted with Ra paint can still trigger a Geiger counter decades later.
Marie and Pierre Curie announced radium in December 1898, and Marie Curie and André-Louis Debierne isolated the pure metal in 1910. The name comes from Latin radius (ray). The curie, an older unit of radioactivity, was based on the activity of one gram of radium-226. Radium-223 is used today to treat prostate cancer that has spread to bone.
7. Right ascension
Science & Engineering · Astronomy & Space Abbreviations
Celestial coordinate equivalent to longitude, measured eastward along the celestial equator from the point of the March equinox, in hours, minutes and seconds from 0 to 24 hours. Together with declination it fixes a star's position on the sky.
Example: Point the telescope to RA 5h 35m, Dec -5 degrees 23 minutes to center the Orion Nebula.
Each hour of right ascension equals 15 degrees, the angle the sky turns in one hour. Because of the slow wobble of Earth's axis, coordinates are given for a standard epoch such as J2000.0. Ra is also the chemical symbol for radium.
8. Registered Architect
Education & Academia · Professional Certification Abbreviations
State license that allows a person to practice architecture and use the title "architect". Candidates usually earn an accredited professional degree, complete the NCARB Architectural Experience Program (3,740 hours) and pass the six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
Example: The plans were reviewed and sealed by an RA before the permit application.
Many architects list "AIA" for membership in the American Institute of Architects alongside or instead of "RA". NCARB certification makes it easier to obtain licenses in additional states. In universities, RA usually means resident assistant or research assistant.
9. Royal Artillery
Military · Military Unit and Organization Abbreviations
British Army corps providing field artillery, rocket systems, air defence, drones and surveillance and target acquisition. It is often called "the Gunners," and its soldiers carry the title gunner.
Example: The RA's rocket launchers fired during the NATO exercise in Estonia.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in 1716, and its motto "Ubique" ("Everywhere") reflects that its guns served in every campaign, replacing individual battle honours. Its home is Larkhill on Salisbury Plain. The Royal Horse Artillery is a separate part of the same regiment.
10. Resolution advisory
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
TCAS command telling pilots to climb, descend or adjust vertical speed to avoid a potential collision, issued roughly 15 to 35 seconds before closest approach depending on altitude. Pilots must follow an RA promptly even if ATC has instructed otherwise.
Example: We responded to the RA, climbed 600 feet, then reported "TCAS RA" to the controller.
Advisories are coordinated between two TCAS-equipped aircraft so that one climbs while the other descends. After complying, pilots report with the phrase "TCAS RA" and return to their clearance when the system announces "clear of conflict." Many RAs are nuisance alerts triggered by aircraft leveling off 1,000 feet apart at high vertical speed.
11. Radiyallahu anhu (may God be pleased with him)
Religion · Religious Term Abbreviations
Arabic honorific used mainly by Sunni Muslims after the names of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, such as Abu Bakr and Umar. The form changes to radiyallahu anha for a woman and anhum for a group.
Example: Aisha RA narrated many of the hadith collected by Bukhari.
Some writers use R.A. or RAA. Shia Muslims use different honorifics for many of the same figures. RA has unrelated meanings in other fields, such as resident assistant and rheumatoid arthritis.
Related abbreviations
More musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations
- PM – Polymyositis
- PMR – Polymyalgia rheumatica
- PRP – Platelet-rich plasma
- PsA – Psoriatic arthritis
- RCT – Rotator cuff tear
- RICE – Rest, ice, compression and elevation
- RSA – Reverse shoulder arthroplasty
- SCFE – Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
See all 71 musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations →
More academic abbreviations
- QPA – Quality point average
- R01 – Research Project Grant (NIH R01)
- R1 – Doctoral universities with very high research spending and doctorate…
- R2 – Doctoral universities with high research spending and doctorate…
- RCR – Responsible conduct of research
- RD – Regular decision
- REA – Restrictive early action
- ROTC – Reserve Officers' Training Corps
See all 124 academic abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.