Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain: A cerebrovascular accident is a serious medical event where blood flow to a part of the brain is disrupted, either by a blockage or a burst blood vessel, causing brain cells to be deprived of oxygen.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was hospitalized after suffering a cerebrovascular accident.
  • Immediate treatment is crucial following a cerebrovascular accident to minimize brain damage.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term "cerebrovascular accident" is a formal, technical term used primarily in medical documentation and professional communication.
  • The doctor's notes indicated a history of cerebrovascular accident.

Variants and Related Words

• Stroke (n): The common, more widely used term for a cerebrovascular accident.
  • He is recovering from a stroke.
• CVA (n): A standard medical abbreviation for cerebrovascular accident.
  • The chart was marked "status post CVA".
• Brain attack (n): An informal term sometimes used to emphasize the sudden, urgent nature of the event, analogous to a heart attack.
  • Public health campaigns aim to teach people to recognize the signs of a brain attack.

Synonyms

• Stroke: The primary synonym in general and medical use.
• Apoplexy: An older, less specific term for a sudden neurological impairment, often synonymous with stroke.

Related Phrases

• Ischemic stroke: A type of cerebrovascular accident caused by a blockage (occlusion) in a blood vessel supplying the brain.
• Hemorrhagic stroke: A type of cerebrovascular accident caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain.

Noun

1. a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain