FAILURE OF INTRAVENOUS ASPIRIN TO INCREASE GASTROINTESTINAL BLOOD LOSS

Studies of the effect of intravenous sodium acetylsalicylate (aspirin) on gastrointestinal blood loss with 51Cr-labelled red cells were made on 15 healthy male volunteers._ After a control period of five days 1 g. of sodium acetylsalicylate was infused over a period of 100 minutes twice daily for three days. Faecal blood loss was not increased. In a further six subjects 3 g. of sodium acetylsalicylate was infused over a period of 120 minutes. No salicylate or acetylsalicylate was detected in saliva or gastric washings from these six subjects. Hence gastrointestinal blood loss induced by aspirin may be explained by a local effect on Mucosa and not by any systemic effect. © 1969, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.