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From: mlf@panda.UUCP (Matt L. Fichtenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Asprirn
Message-ID: <334@panda.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 08:56:16 EST
Article-I.D.: panda.334
Posted: Fri Mar  1 08:56:16 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 03:29:37 EST
References: <887@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Reply-To: mlf@panda.UUCP (Matt L. Fichtenbaum)
Distribution: net
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 30
Summary: 

>I hear on the news today that giving aspirin to a child who has the
>cold or a flu could result in the child getting reise (sp) syndrom.

>...how many people are harmmed each day by proven
>forms of medicine, like aspirin in this case.

>As an aside, willow bark works like aspirin, it is mild on the stomach
>and it is natural. 

   Reye's syndrome (I've heard it pronounced "rye") is a serious, potentially
fatal disease/inflammation of the brain.  It *appears* that it is more likely
to occur in a child who has chicken pox or, I think, the flu, and that
giving a child aspirin for these diseases increases the Reye's risk.  While
the exact cause of Reye's is not yet known, there's enough indication about
the aspirin risk to justify printing a warning label.  Our pediatrician
(and other references) suggest using something like Tylenol in place of
aspirin in children.

   I miss the point with willow bark.  It may contain salicylates that give
it its anti-inflammatory effect; in that case it's not significantly
different from aspirin.  And I don't see what its being "natural" has to
do with anything.  Many common prescription drugs are derived from things
that occur in nature; also, many things that occur in nature are
demonstrably bad for humans - examples are curare, poison ivy, lions [:-)].

-- 

					Matt Fichtenbaum
					"Our job is to rescue fires,
					not put out your cat."