Aspirin
- OralAspirinAspro, 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