Aspirin and gastrointestinal bleeding.

There is no other over-the-counter (OTC) drug having the widespread use of aspirin. Evoking the well-established analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activities with an amazingly low degree of toxicity, its use has increased in this country to the astounding figure of more than 20 tons daily. The observation that comparatively small daily doses of aspirin may serve as a means of preventing certain types of cardiovascular disasters may lead to even more widespread use of the drug. The most frequent untoward side effect of aspirin is gastric discomfort with or without microbleeding. The amount of bleeding is usually quite small but owing to the long interest of the author in buffered aspirin, it is prudent to determine whether or not this action of aspirin is serious.