title: Decreasing serum salicylate concentrations during long-term administration of acetylsalicylic acid in healthy volunteers. Discussion of possible clinical implications.
abstract: The suitability for multiple dosing of two acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) preparations was compared in 8 healthy volunteers. During this study a marked decrease in serum salicylate concentrations with time was observed in 7 of the subjects. These results are presented here. On day 16 of medications, levels were 60-80% of those on day 6. On day 38, when the study was discontinued, the levels had fallen to 50-65% of the values on day 6. The decrease in salicylate concentrations is probably due to induction of the salicyluric acid formation, one of the saturable pathways of salicylate elimination. Because of a narrow therapeutic range and large interindividual differences in salicylate concentrations with the same dose, determination of serum salicylate levels is an important tool in the adjustment of optimum individual ASA therapy. Our findings further emphasize this fact. They indicate that serum salicylate determinations should preferably be repeated a few times after initiation of ASA therapy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001241:Aspirin