AED
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Automated external defibrillator |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Business & Finance |
AED has three meanings. The most common are Automated external defibrillator (cardiology) and UAE dirham (currency); it can also stand for Antiepileptic drug.
Meanings of AED at a glance
| # | AED stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automated external defibrillator | Medical › Cardiology |
| 2 | UAE dirham | Business & Finance › Currency |
| 3 | Antiepileptic drug | Medical › Drug Class |
1. Automated external defibrillator
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Portable device that analyzes heart rhythm through adhesive pads and, if it detects ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, prompts the rescuer to deliver a shock. Spoken instructions make it usable by untrained bystanders, and it will not shock a rhythm that does not need it.
Example: Call 911, start CPR, and send someone to grab the AED by the front desk.
Public-access AED programs, with devices in airports, stadiums and schools, have substantially improved survival from witnessed cardiac arrest, and many US states require AEDs in schools or gyms. The chance of survival is highest when a shock is delivered within the first few minutes. In neurology AED means antiepileptic drug.
2. UAE dirham
Business & Finance · Currency Abbreviations
The currency of the United Arab Emirates, issued by the Central Bank of the UAE, pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 dirhams and divided into 100 fils.
Example: The desert safari costs AED 250 per person including dinner.
Locally abbreviated Dhs or Dh. The name derives from the Greek drachma. The dirham was introduced in 1973, replacing the Qatar and Dubai riyal and the Bahraini dinar that had circulated in the emirates. The UAE levies no personal income tax but introduced a 5 percent VAT in 2018.
3. Antiepileptic drug
Medical · Drug Class Abbreviations
Older umbrella term for medicines that prevent seizures, from phenytoin and carbamazepine to levetiracetam and lamotrigine. From a pharmacology standpoint they differ greatly in enzyme effects, monitoring needs and safety in pregnancy.
Example: Enzyme-inducing AED (carbamazepine) will lower her oral contraceptive levels.
In 2008 the FDA required a class warning on suicidal thoughts after a pooled analysis of 199 trials found roughly double the risk compared with placebo. Older "enzyme-inducing" AEDs such as carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital speed the breakdown of contraceptives, warfarin and many other drugs. AED also means automated external defibrillator.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- ACC – American College of Cardiology
- ACHD – Adult congenital heart disease
- ACS – Acute coronary syndrome
- ADHF – Acute decompensated heart failure
- AF – Atrial fibrillation
- AFib – Atrial fibrillation
- AFL – Atrial flutter
- AHA – American Heart Association
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
More currency abbreviations
- ARS – Argentine peso
- AUD – Australian dollar
- BDT – Bangladeshi taka
- BGN – Bulgarian lev
- BHD – Bahraini dinar
- BRL – Brazilian real
- CAD – Canadian dollar
- CHF – Swiss franc
See all 77 currency abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.