tPA
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Transportation & Travel |
| Also written | TPA |
tPA has three meanings. The most common are Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase) (drug) and Tampa International Airport (airport code); it can also stand for Third-party administrator.
Meanings of tPA at a glance
| # | tPA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase) | Medical › Drug |
| 2 | Tampa International Airport | Transportation & Travel › Airport Code |
| 3 | Third-party administrator | Medical › Health Insurance |
1. Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase)
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Thrombolytic enzyme, sold as Activase, that dissolves clots by converting plasminogen to plasmin. From a dosing standpoint, stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism and blocked catheters all use different regimens of the same drug.
Example: Alteplase (tPA) 0.9 mg/kg, max 90 mg: 10% IV push over 1 minute, rest over 60 minutes.
Alteplase was approved for acute ischemic stroke in 1996 after the NINDS trial; low-dose Cathflo Activase (2 mg) clears occluded catheters. Blood pressure must be below 185/110 before stroke treatment. ISMP warns that "tPA" has been confused with TNK (tenecteplase) and TXA (tranexamic acid), and alteplase can cause tongue swelling, especially in people on ACE inhibitors.
2. Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Transportation & Travel · Airport Code Abbreviations
Tampa Bay's airport, frequently ranked among the best in the US for passenger satisfaction. Its landside-airside layout, introduced in 1971, uses automated people movers so that walks to the gates are short.
Example: TPA is so easy that I was from the curb to my gate in eleven minutes.
ICAO code KTPA. The hub-and-satellite design pioneered at Tampa, with a central terminal and separate airside buildings reached by automated trains, influenced airports worldwide. Southwest is the largest carrier. Tampa is also linked to the world's first scheduled airline service: the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, which began flying across Tampa Bay on January 1, 1914.
3. Third-party administrator (TPA)
Medical · Health Insurance Abbreviations · also used in business
Company that handles administrative work for self-funded employer health plans, such as processing claims, managing enrollment, providing customer service and arranging network access, without taking on insurance risk. The employer pays claims from its own funds.
Example: Claims are processed by our TPA, but the money comes from the company's self-funded plan.
Large insurers also act as administrators under administrative services only (ASO) contracts. TPAs also run FSAs, HRAs, COBRA continuation and retirement plans. In stroke care tPA, with a lowercase t, means tissue plasminogen activator.
Related abbreviations
More drug abbreviations
- THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol
- TIG – Tetanus immune globulin
- TMP-SMX – Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
- TNK – Tenecteplase
- TPM – Topiramate
- TXA – Tranexamic acid
- U-100 – 100 units per milliliter
- U-500 – 500 units per milliliter (concentrated regular insulin)
See all 170 drug abbreviations →
More airport code abbreviations
- STL – St. Louis Lambert International Airport
- STN – London Stansted Airport
- SYD – Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
- TLV – Ben Gurion Airport
- TPE – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
- TUS – Tucson International Airport
- VIE – Vienna International Airport
- WAW – Warsaw Chopin Airport
See all 170 airport code abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.