What does CVA mean in LABORATORY

A Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA) is an interruption in the supply of blood to the brain, which can cause stroke, brain damage, and even death.

Symptoms associated with a CVA can include sudden weakness or numbness in one side of the body, confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding words, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination, a severe headache, and/or difficulty breathing.

Tests that may be performed after a suspected CVA include CT scan or MRI scan to look for areas of bleeding or tissue damage in the brain; ultrasound images of carotid arteries; electrocardiogram (ECG) to look for irregular heart rhythms; echocardiogram to look at heart activity; and blood tests looking for markers that indicate there has been a clot within the past few days.

Treatment should be administered as soon as possible after suffering from a CVA as this will decrease the risk of further damage caused by lack of oxygen to the brain cells. The sooner treatment begins following a CVA, the better chance there is for recovery.

Recovery following a CVA depends on many factors including age, overall health condition at time of attack, size and location of any area of bleeding in the brain, extent of injury caused by lack of oxygen to the brain cells etc., however it is possible for patients to survive and make substantial recoveries depending on these factors. In some cases people make full recoveries although they may have some residual effects such as speech difficulties etc.