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Aspirin facts for kids

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Aspirin
Systematic (IUPAC) name
2-acetoxybenzoic acid
Quick facts for kids
Identifiers
CAS number 50-78-2
ATC code A01AD05 B01AC06, N02BA01
PubChem 2244
DrugBank APRD00264
ChemSpider 2157
Chemical data
Formula C9H8O4 
Mol. mass 180.157 g/mol
SMILES eMolecules & PubChem
Synonyms 2-acetyloxybenzoic acid
acetylsalicylate
acetylsalicylic acid
O-acetylsalicylic acid
Physical data
Density 1.40 g/cm³
Melt. point 135 °C (275 °F)
Boiling point 140 °C (284 °F) (decomposes)
Solubility in water 3 mg/mL (20 °C)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability Rapidly and completely absorbed
Protein binding 99.6%
Metabolism Hepatic
Half life 300–650 mg dose: 3.1–3.2 h
1 g dose: 5 h
2 g dose: 9 h
Excretion Renal
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

C(AU) D(US)

Legal status

Unscheduled(AU) GSL(UK) OTC(US)

Routes Most commonly oral. Lysine acetylsalicylate may be given IV or IM

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a drug. It is most commonly used as a pain killer, or to reduce fever or inflammation. It also has an anti-platelet effect - it reduces the number of platelets in the blood which reduces blood clotting- in that function it is used to prevent heart attacks. Aspirin is one of the most-used medical drugs in the world.

Aspirin was invented in Germany in 1897. Bayer has a trademark on the brand name "aspirin" in 80 countries. But in other countries, "aspirin" is the common name for the drug.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ácido acetilsalicílico para niños

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