CVA is an acronym for which medical event?

• A. Cardiovascular accident
• B. Cerebral vascular aneurysm
• C. Cerebrovascular accident
• D. Central venous access

Answer: (C)

CVA stands for cerebrovascular accident, an event where blood flow to part of the brain is disrupted, leading to brain tissue damage—the condition we commonly call a stroke. That makes cerebrovascular accident the precise meaning. The other options don’t fit because a cerebral vascular aneurysm is a vascular abnormality, not the abrupt brain-blood-flow event; cardiovascular accident would imply a heart-related issue rather than the brain; central venous access is a procedure, not an event. In practice, CVA is often used interchangeably with stroke, reflecting the idea of a sudden disturbance in brain blood supply.