PROJECT BY C.FRAGGOS, G. VASILIOU AND M. TSINIA ON ASPIRIN

ASPIRIN

Aspirin (USAN), also known as acetylsalicylic acid (pronounced /əˌsɛtɪlsælɪˌsɪlɪk ˈæsɪd/, abbreviated ASA), is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication.

Main article: History of aspirinA French chemist, Charles Frederic Gerhardt, was the first to prepare acetylsalicylic acid in 1853. In the course of his work on the synthesis and properties of various acid anhydrides, he mixed acetyl chloride with a sodium salt of salicylic acid (sodium salicylate). A vigorous reaction ensued, and the resulting melt soon solidified. Since no structural theory existed at that time, Gerhardt called the compound he obtained "salicylic-acetic anhydride" . This preparation of aspirin was one of the many reactions Gerhardt conducted for his paper on anhydrides and he did not pursue it further.

SIDE EFFECTS AND THERAPIC USE

Although aspirin has been used to combat fever and pains associated with common cold for more than 100 years, only recently its efficacy was confirmed in controlled clinical trials on adults. 1 g of aspirin, on average, reduced the oral body temperature from 39.0°C to 37.6°C after 3 hours. The relief began after 30 minutes, and after 6 hours the temperature still remained below 37.8°C. Aspirin also helped with "achiness", discomfort and headache, and with sore throat pain, for those who had it.

Aspirin was indistinguishable from paracetamol in any respect, except for, possibly, slightly higher rate of sweating and gastrointestinal side effects. Aspirin is one of the first-line drugs used in the treatment of migraine, bringing relief in 50–60% of the cases. It is as effective as a newer triptan medication sumatriptan (Imitrex) and other painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. The combination of aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine is even more potent. For the treatment of migraine headache, this formulation works better than any of its three components taken separately.

Aspirin alleviates pain in 60-75% patients with episodic tension headache. It is equivalent to paracetamol in that respect, except for the higher frequency of gastrointestinal side effects. The combination of aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine is still more effective, but at the cost of more stomach discomfort, nervousness and dizziness.

It is also effective for pain after surgery. The most studied example is pain after a tooth extraction, for which the highest allowed dose of aspirin (1 g) is equivalent to 1 g of paracetamol. Combination of aspirin and caffeine, generally, affords greater pain relief than aspirin alone. Effervescent aspirin alleviates pain much faster than aspirin in tablets (15-30 min vs. 45-60 min). Nevertheless, as a post-surgery painkiller, aspirin is inferior to ibuprofen. Aspirin has higher gastrointestinal toxicity than ibuprofen. The maximum dose of aspirin (1 g) provides weaker pain relief than an intermediate dose of ibuprofen (400 mg), and this relief does not last as long.

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