AAD

Medical abbreviation · Drug Class

AAD
Stands forAntiarrhythmic drug
CategoriesMedical

AAD stands for Antiarrhythmic drug, a drug class abbreviation.

Medicines that restore or maintain normal heart rhythm, such as amiodarone, flecainide, sotalol, dofetilide and dronedarone. They are classified by the Vaughan Williams system into classes I to IV according to their main ion channel or receptor effect.

Example: Persistent AF after cardioversion: start AAD dofetilide with 3-day inpatient QTc monitoring.

Usage notes

The CAST trial (1989) showed that suppressing ventricular ectopy with flecainide or encainide after a heart attack increased deaths, a landmark lesson that surrogate markers can mislead. Dofetilide and sotalol must be started in hospital because of QT prolongation and torsades risk. Catheter ablation has replaced AADs for many patients.

More drug class abbreviations

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  • 5-ARI – 5-alpha reductase inhibitor
  • 5-HT3 RA – 5-HT3 receptor antagonist
  • ACEI – Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
  • AChEI – Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
  • ACT – Artemisinin-based combination therapy
  • ADC – Antibody-drug conjugate
  • AED – Antiepileptic drug
  • AG – Aminoglycoside
  • AGI – Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor
  • AI – Aromatase inhibitor
  • ARB – Angiotensin II receptor blocker

See all 113 drug class abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.