Fda Urges Control Of Aspirin

[george]

FDA urges control of aspirin

BANGKOK: -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling on pharmacies not to sell aspirin to parents planning to give it to their children.

The move followed Caretaker Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat's concerns about the possibility that children might be given the aspirin to reduce their fever and thus exposed to associated danger.

Although the aspirin has many benefits, an overdose or wrong use can be fatal.

Pinij expressed concerns about the widespread use of aspirin following a report that a nine-year-old girl died of excessive aspirin.

-- The Nation 2006-08-08

[Crushdepth]

Although the aspirin has many benefits, an overdose or wrong use can be fatal.

And what can't you overdose on?

Pinij expressed concerns about the widespread use of aspirin following a report that a nine-year-old girl died of excessive aspirin.

Only among parents that are trying to get rid of their childeren...

[fxm88]

Is that the entire article? How utterly useless! I assume the "associated danger" they mention is Reye's syndrome, which is not exactly "news" -- but maybe they're talking about something else, and without more information it's impossible to tell. Who writes this carp!

[leisurely]

I belive that asprin has been banned for the use of children under 12 for at least 15 years, maybe more in UK. I imagine that with the extremely easy availability of medicine here - and presumably cost playing a part, aspirin would be the drug of choice. Poor children

[cathyy]

Overdose on aspirin? I suppose it's possible, but Tylenol seems more likely. It's toxic at only twice the recommended dosage...and that's not the extra strength dose. It would actually be relatively easy to accidentally kill a child with a Tylenol overdose of you gave an older child the adult dose for several days.

All you Dads out there know that sometimes children get a fever that doesn't respond well to Tylenol. You give the Tylenol to them, the fever goes down, but then is back up 2 hours later. You can't give them more Tylenol after only two hours. Back in the day you could give them aspirin, as they will not overdose each other, but aspirin is out now. I believe ibuprofin is used alternately with Tylenol now to keep a fever down when Tylenol alone won't do it. Children's dosages only!

[george]

Ministry bans selling aspirin to treat children

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health Friday banned sales of aspirin for treatment of children under age 15 at grocery stores and drug stores to prevent any fatality which may be linked to this fever relief drug.

Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said he met Friday with over 500 medical professionals, pharmacists, government officials, fresh market vendors and school staff from Nonthaburi Province on the outskirts of Bangkok to present policies to prevent the spread of bird flu.

The same measures would be implemented in other provinces, he said.

Mr. Pinij said he advised them not to give aspirin to children--especially to those under age 15.

Some patients who have had direct contact with poultry or live in areas where there are suspicious deaths of birds should see doctors who can determine whether they have contracted bird flu virus.

He asked local authorities to control grocery shops to follow the ministry's guidelines and to stop selling aspirin in its powdered form used for children.

Regarding vendors, he instructed them to keep their sales venues clean and not to sell fowls which died from unknown causes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, Permanent Secretary for Public Health, said coninuing bird flu lab tests around the country had not identified any new cases of avian influenza; so there are no new bird flu patients to report.

Regarding an earlier reported case of a 10-year-old Buddhist novice monk, suspected of having bird flu in the northern province of Uttaradit, had still been given the anti-viral drug oseltamivir used to treat bird flu in humans.

--TNA 2006-08-11

[libya 115]

Overdose on aspirin? I suppose it's possible, but Tylenol seems more likely. It's toxic at only twice the recommended dosage...and that's not the extra strength dose. It would actually be relatively easy to accidentally kill a child with a Tylenol overdose of you gave an older child the adult dose for several days.

All you Dads out there know that sometimes children get a fever that doesn't respond well to Tylenol. You give the Tylenol to them, the fever goes down, but then is back up 2 hours later. You can't give them more Tylenol after only two hours. Back in the day you could give them aspirin, as they will not overdose each other, but aspirin is out now. I believe ibuprofin is used alternately with Tylenol now to keep a fever down when Tylenol alone won't do it. Children's dosages only!

Certainly, I have known for many years that aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) should not be administered to children less than sixteen years of age.

The exact reasons are still not fully understood. G6PD deficiency in asians is common so even in adult asians dosage of aspirin should be less than 1g per day.

Reye's syndrome can occur (usually in infants) possible vitamin K deficiency link.

However, aspirin is a massive life-saver when used as an antiplatelet drug, which can decrease platelet aggregation and may inhibit thrombus formation in the arterial circulation, where anticoagulants have little effect.

Antipyretic agents (Fever reducing drugs): Probably best avoided for children. Sponging with cold water is adequate. Body temperatures 104F + should indicate immediate hospital admission.

[Phil Conners]

104F? How much is that in human degrees (Celcius)?

[libya 115]

104F? How much is that in human degrees (Celcius)?

40 degrees Celcius. Exact.

[garyh]

Overdose on aspirin? I suppose it's possible, but Tylenol seems more likely. It's toxic at only twice the recommended dosage...and that's not the extra strength dose. It would actually be relatively easy to accidentally kill a child with a Tylenol overdose of you gave an older child the adult dose for several days.

All you Dads out there know that sometimes children get a fever that doesn't respond well to Tylenol. You give the Tylenol to them, the fever goes down, but then is back up 2 hours later. You can't give them more Tylenol after only two hours. Back in the day you could give them aspirin, as they will not overdose each other, but aspirin is out now. I believe ibuprofin is used alternately with Tylenol now to keep a fever down when Tylenol alone won't do it. Children's dosages only!

If your child has G6PD ASPRIN CAN BE FATAL.

Do you research, suggesting you can't overdose on asprin may be true for a lot of people it is not the case with G6PD. A very large portion of Thais are affected by this as is my 6 week old son who is half Thai half Farang. We thought an Australian hospital would be a better option for the birth but they where not aware of G6PD, one thing that should not be given is vitamin K which is given after birth here, the result was a sick baby in intensive care, it was a Malayasian born Nursing Sister that suggested our son should be checked for G6PD. The doctors did not consider it at all.

Edited June 8, 2009 by garyh

[Ijustwannateach]

It is well-known among those with good health education that children should not take aspirin, generally- especially if they have a fever. I believe the condition is called Reye's Syndrome; a childhood friend of mine died of it.

Here's a link.