ASM
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Antiseizure medication |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Medical, Business & Finance, Transportation & Travel, Arts & Entertainment |
ASM has four meanings. The most common are Antiseizure medication (drug class) and Area sales manager (job title); it can also stand for Available seat miles and Assistant stage manager.
Meanings of ASM at a glance
| # | ASM stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antiseizure medication | Medical › Drug Class |
| 2 | Area sales manager | Business & Finance › Job Title |
| 3 | Available seat miles | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
| 4 | Assistant stage manager | Arts & Entertainment › Film, Television and Theater |
1. Antiseizure medication
Medical · Drug Class Abbreviations
Term now preferred by the International League Against Epilepsy for drugs used to control seizures, because they suppress seizures rather than cure epilepsy. Many ASMs are also prescribed for nerve pain, migraine prevention and bipolar disorder.
Example: ASM levels: phenytoin 14, valproate 72; continue current doses.
Drug level monitoring is routine for phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproate and phenobarbital but less useful for most newer ASMs. Switching between generic manufacturers is usually safe, though some neurologists prefer consistency for patients with hard-to-control seizures. Pregnancy registries track birth-defect risks, which are highest with valproate.
2. Area sales manager
Business & Finance · Job Title Abbreviations
Sales manager responsible for an area, a group of territories smaller than a region, supervising sales representatives, distributors or retail outlets and meeting volume targets. The title is especially common in India and the UK and in consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies.
Example: The ASM visits each distributor in the territory every month to check stock and collections.
In fast-moving consumer goods companies in India, a typical hierarchy runs from sales officer to ASM to regional sales manager to zonal or national sales head. In retail, ASM can also mean assistant store manager.
3. Available seat miles
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
Airline capacity measure equal to the number of seats flown multiplied by the miles flown, whether or not the seats are filled. ASMs are the standard denominator for airline unit costs and revenues in financial reports.
Example: The carrier plans to grow ASMs by 6 percent next year, mostly with new transatlantic routes.
Outside the US the metric is usually ASK, available seat kilometers. Comparing revenue passenger miles with ASMs gives the load factor, the share of seats filled. Unit metrics derived from it include CASM (cost per ASM) and RASM (revenue per ASM), quoted in cents.
4. Assistant stage manager
Arts & Entertainment · Film, Television and Theater Abbreviations
Member of the stage management team who works backstage during performances, running scene changes, tracking props and helping actors with entrances and quick changes.
Example: The ASM preset the props table before the half-hour call.
ASMs are often the stage manager's eyes on the opposite side of the stage. In British theater the deputy stage manager (DSM) usually calls the cues. Many stage managers start as ASMs.
Related abbreviations
More drug class abbreviations
- AGI – Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor
- AI – Aromatase inhibitor
- ARB – Angiotensin II receptor blocker
- ARNI – Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor
- ASO – Antisense oligonucleotide
- ATD – Antithyroid drug
- BAS – Bile acid sequestrant
- BB – Beta-blocker
See all 113 drug class abbreviations →
More job title abbreviations
- AA – Administrative assistant
- AE – Account executive
- AGM – Assistant general manager
- AM – Account manager
- Assoc. – Associate
- Asst. – Assistant
- AVP – Assistant vice president
- BA – Business analyst
See all 70 job title abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.