CVA Meaning: Cerebrovascular Accident and Stroke Language
CVA means Cerebrovascular Accident, an older medical term for stroke.
Category Acronyms
First aid often uses shortened forms of longer phrases. This section explains acronyms such as DRSABCD, CPR, AED, AVPU, and SAMPLE. Each entry expands the letters and explains what the term represents in a first aid context.
TBI Meaning: Traumatic Brain Injury and First Aid Red Flags
TBI means Traumatic Brain Injury, an injury to the brain caused by an external force such as a blow, fall or crash.
LOC Meaning: Loss or Level of Consciousness
LOC usually means loss of consciousness or level of consciousness, depending on the context.
GCS Meaning: Glasgow Coma Scale in First Aid Handover
GCS means Glasgow Coma Scale, a clinical score used to describe consciousness after illness or injury.
COWS First Aid: A Simple Response Check
COWS is a first aid response check that helps you work out whether a person can hear, open their eyes and respond.
ABC First Aid Meaning: Airway, Breathing and Circulation
ABC means Airway, Breathing and Circulation, an older but still familiar way to describe core life-support priorities.
ALS Meaning: Advanced Life Support in Australia
ALS means Advanced Life Support, the higher-level resuscitation care used when trained clinicians, equipment and medicines are available.
BVM Meaning: Bag-Valve-Mask in Resuscitation
BVM means Bag-Valve-Mask, a ventilation device used by trained responders to support breathing.
VF Meaning: Ventricular Fibrillation and Why AEDs Matter
VF means Ventricular Fibrillation, a shockable cardiac arrest rhythm where fast defibrillation can be critical.
SCA Meaning: Sudden Cardiac Arrest and What Bystanders Can Do
SCA means Sudden Cardiac Arrest, a life-threatening emergency where the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively.