×
MedSchool: Ace Your OSCEsThe Medical Company
 
 
 
 
 
GET - On the App Store
View
Drug Guide
 
 

Aspirin

 
Bookmark
  •  
    Oral
    Aspirin
    Aspro, Astrix 
  • Mechanism of Action

  • Inhibits cyclooxygenase, the enzyme responsible for production of thromboxanes, prostacyclin and prostaglandins from arachidonic acid.
  • Pharmacology

  • Binds irreversibly to COX, unlike other NSAIDs. Though COX can resynthesize in minutes, platelets (which lack a nucleus) cannot create new COX and thus new platelets need to be produced, which can take up to a week. As a result aspirin is the only NSAID that significantly inhibits platelets and thus is also used for cardiovascular protection.

Clinical Use

  • Indications
  • Prophylaxis - of acute coronary or cerebrovascular events in patients with known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseasePain - including migraine and musculoskeletal injury
  • Fever
  • Inflammation - especially associated with arthritides
  • Adverse Effects
  • Gastritis / peptic ulceration
  • Nephrotoxicity
  • Hypertension / fluid retention / congestive cardiac failure / MI
  • Hypersensitivity reactions
  • Delirium
  • Headache
  • Elevated LFTs
  • Neutropaenia
Want more info like this?
  • Your electronic clinical medicine handbook
  • Guides to help pass your exams
  • Tools every medical student needs
  • Quick diagrams to have the answers, fast
  • Quizzes to test your knowledge
Sign Up Now
   
 
 

Snapshot: Initialising...