ASA
Abbreviation with 7 meanings
| Stands for | Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 7 |
| Categories | Medical, Units & Measurements, Law & Legal, Organizations & Companies, Business & Finance |
ASA has seven meanings. The most common are Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) (drug) and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (anesthesia); it can also stand for Angle-Side-Angle (congruence), Assistant state's attorney, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Statistical Association and Allmennaksjeselskap (public limited company).
Meanings of ASA at a glance
| # | ASA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) | Medical › Drug |
| 2 | American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification | Medical › Anesthesia |
| 3 | Angle-Side-Angle (congruence) | Units & Measurements › Math |
| 4 | Assistant state's attorney | Law & Legal › Court |
| 5 | American Society of Anesthesiologists | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
| 6 | American Statistical Association | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
| 7 | Allmennaksjeselskap (public limited company) | Business & Finance › Company Type |
1. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Abbreviation for aspirin, used for pain, fever and inflammation and, at low doses (usually 81 mg in the US), to prevent heart attacks and strokes by blocking platelet function. It is one of the most widely used drugs in the world.
Example: ASA 81 mg PO daily indefinitely after the stent; clopidogrel for 12 months.
Bayer registered "Aspirin" as a trademark in 1899; it remains a trademark in some countries, while in the US it became a generic name. Aspirin is avoided in children and teenagers with viral illnesses because of Reye syndrome. In anesthesia ASA usually refers to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification.
2. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification
Medical · Anesthesia Abbreviations
Six-level grading of a patient's overall health before anesthesia: ASA I healthy, II mild systemic disease, III severe systemic disease, IV severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life, V moribund and not expected to survive without the operation, and VI brain-dead organ donor. An "E" is added for emergency surgery.
Example: ASA III (insulin-dependent diabetes, COPD); plan regional anesthesia.
The classification was introduced in 1941 and revised in 1963, and the society has since published examples to reduce disagreement between raters. It describes health status rather than calculating surgical risk, yet it correlates with complications and is used in billing and outcomes research. On medication lists ASA means acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
3. Angle-Side-Angle (congruence)
Units & Measurements · Math Abbreviations
Two triangles are congruent by ASA when two angles and the side between them match. Because the angles of a triangle sum to 180°, the third angles must also be equal.
Example: The angles at A and B and side AB match the other triangle, so they are congruent by ASA.
Euclid's Book I, Proposition 26 covers both ASA and AAS. Surveyors use the same principle in triangulation, measuring a baseline and two angles to locate a distant point without traveling to it.
4. Assistant state's attorney
Law & Legal · Court Abbreviations
Line prosecutor working under an elected state's attorney in Illinois, Maryland or Connecticut, or under an elected State Attorney in one of Florida's judicial circuits. ASAs make charging decisions, handle preliminary hearings, negotiate pleas and try cases.
Example: The ASA told the judge that the state would proceed only on the aggravated battery count.
Cook County's State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, one of the largest local prosecutor's offices in the country, staffs a felony review unit whose ASAs approve charges around the clock. The role matches that of an assistant district attorney elsewhere. Outside law, ASA has unrelated meanings such as the American Statistical Association.
5. American Society of Anesthesiologists
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Physician organization for anesthesiologists that sets practice standards and guidelines for anesthesia and perioperative care. It is best known for the ASA physical status classification used to rate patients' health before surgery.
Example: The patient was rated ASA II, with mild, well-controlled systemic disease.
It traces its origins to the Long Island Society of Anesthetists, founded in 1905. The ASA classification, first published in the 1940s, ranges from ASA I for healthy patients to ASA VI for brain-dead organ donors. In statistics, ASA means the American Statistical Association.
6. American Statistical Association
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Statisticians' professional society, which publishes the Journal of the American Statistical Association and advocates for sound statistical practice.
Example: The editors cited the ASA statement on the misuse of p-values.
Founded in Boston in 1839, it is one of the oldest professional societies in the United States. Its 2016 statement warning against overreliance on p-values drew wide attention across the sciences. Members elected as fellows are among the most honored statisticians.
7. Allmennaksjeselskap (public limited company)
Business & Finance · Company Type Abbreviations
Norwegian public limited company form, required for companies that offer shares to the public and typical among companies listed on Euronext Oslo Børs, formerly the Oslo Stock Exchange. An ASA needs share capital of at least NOK 1 million.
Example: Equinor ASA and Norsk Hydro ASA are among the largest companies on the Oslo exchange.
ASAs must meet stricter governance rules than private AS companies, including gender-balance requirements for boards; Norway in 2003 became the first country to legislate a 40 percent quota for women on public-company boards. In the UK, ASA usually means the Advertising Standards Authority.
Related abbreviations
More drug abbreviations
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- amp – Ampicillin
- APAP – N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (acetaminophen)
- Ara-C – Cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside)
- ATG – Antithymocyte globulin
- ATRA – All-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin)
- AZA – Azathioprine
- AZT – Azidothymidine (zidovudine)
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More anesthesia abbreviations
- BIS – Bispectral index
- CICO – Can't intubate, can't oxygenate
- CSE – Combined spinal-epidural
- DL – Direct laryngoscopy
- eFONA – Emergency front-of-neck access
- ESP – Erector spinae plane (block)
- EtCO2 – End-tidal carbon dioxide
- ETT – Endotracheal tube
See all 34 anesthesia abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.