aspirin
Enable an AI agent to recognise aspirin, assess the identity and condition of a particular material or preparation, and determine which handling or use decisions require further evidence.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise aspirin, assess the identity and condition of a particular material or preparation, and determine which handling or use decisions require further evidence.
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid; IUPAC 2-(acetyloxy)benzoic acid, C9H8O4) is a salicylate NSAID that covalently acetylates Ser530 of COX-1 and Ser516 of COX-2, irreversibly blocking prostaglandin and thromboxane A2 synthesis and thereby combining analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory action with a lasting antiplatelet effect that reversible NSAIDs lack.
It can be Resolve an aspirin name or product reference to an evidenced substance or preparation identity.; Compare stated aspirin content and formulation across preparations while identifying unresolved substitution constraints.; Request or interpret identity, assay and impurity testing against an applicable specification.; Evaluate packaging and storage evidence to support retention, quarantine or disposal decisions.; Check a proposed preparation or administration action against verified product instructions and linked clinical context.; Trace an affected aspirin preparation to its batch and applicable recall or quality notice..
Distinguishing features
Require identity evidence specifying acetylsalicylic acid; a reference to salicylates or salicylic acid alone does not establish aspirin identity.
Check the active-ingredient declaration or analytical identification rather than recognising aspirin from a brand name, tablet colour or intended symptom.
Distinguish bulk acetylsalicylic acid from an aspirin-containing finished preparation by its composition, dosage form and intended material role.
Distinguish aspirin-only preparations from combination products by recording every declared active ingredient and its quantity.
Distinguish preparations with different release characteristics using verified formulation or labelling evidence rather than assuming equal strength makes them interchangeable.
Scope
+ Identification of acetylsalicylic acid and distinction from related substances or ambiguous product names
+ Aspirin content, purity and relevant impurities in a specified material or preparation
+ Physical form, formulation and release characteristics of aspirin-containing preparations
+ Batch, packaging, storage and condition evidence relevant to continued suitability
+ Evidence and restrictions needed to evaluate a proposed handling, dispensing or administration action
- A person's diagnoses, treatment plan and complete medication history
- General models of pain, fever, inflammation, thrombosis or other clinical conditions
- Independent identities and effects of other active ingredients in combination products
- Manufacturing equipment, factory operations and synthesis process control
- Organisational prescribing authority, pharmacy workflows and jurisdiction-wide medicine regulation
Characteristics
- Identity evidence
- label-declared | analytically supported | conflicting | unverified Determines whether the material can reliably be treated as aspirin.
- Material role
- bulk substance | manufacturing intermediate | finished medicine | laboratory reference material | unknown Prevents chemical identity alone from being mistaken for suitability for administration.
- Aspirin quantity
- mg per dosage unit, mg/mL, or mass fraction, with basis and uncertainty Makes amounts interpretable across tablets, mixtures and bulk materials.
- Assay and impurity results
- percentage of stated content and named impurity concentrations, with method, date and acceptance specification Supports a judgement about composition and conformity rather than relying on appearance.
- Dosage form and release designation
- verified product-specific dosage form and release designation | unknown Constrains preparation, substitution and administration decisions.
- Other constituents
- links to co-active ingredients, excipients and coatings with their declared roles Identifies combination products and formulation-dependent restrictions.
- Storage exposure
- temperature in °C, relative humidity in %, exposure duration and evidence completeness Allows comparison of actual storage with the requirements of the particular material.
- Packaging and suitability state
- sealed | opened | damaged | quarantined | released under applicable criteria | unknown, with supporting evidence Separates observable package condition from an authorised suitability decision.
- Applicable use evidence
- links to the exact product information, jurisdiction, proposed action and relevant patient-context model Keeps permissions and restrictions attached to the preparation and situation to which they apply.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.aspirin
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 16 findings · 24 questions.
Aspirin identity and composition Establishes what evidence identifies acetylsalicylic acid and what else is present in the material.
An aspirin name can refer to a chemical substance, a finished medicine or a combination product, each requiring different decisions.
Chemical identity
Separates evidence of acetylsalicylic acid identity from naming assumptions.
Acetylsalicylic acid identification
Record the asserted chemical identity, its supporting evidence and any conflict with related salicylate identities.
- What evidence identifies this material as acetylsalicylic acid rather than salicylic acid or another salicylate? definition
- Does the identity claim come from a product label, supplier certificate or analytical result, and can that evidence be traced to this material? provenance
Composition boundary
Determines whether aspirin is the whole material or one constituent of a preparation.
Aspirin and other constituents
Record aspirin content separately from co-active ingredients, excipients and the total mass of a dosage unit.
- Is this bulk aspirin, an aspirin-only medicine or a preparation containing additional active ingredients? boundary
- What quantity of acetylsalicylic acid is declared or measured, and is its basis a dosage unit, volume or material mass? measurement
Aspirin formulation and delivery Captures the preparation features needed to interpret how this aspirin product is supplied and used.
Aspirin quantity alone does not establish equivalent preparation instructions or release behaviour.
Dosage form and release
Identifies the exact dosage form, coating and documented release designation.
Verified release characteristics
Record formulation claims from evidence tied to the exact product rather than inferred from appearance.
- What dosage form and release designation does the verified information specify for this aspirin preparation? definition
- What evidence identifies the role of any coating, buffering constituents or other formulation features? provenance
Preparation and comparison
Connects formulation evidence to proposed manipulation or substitution.
Formulation-dependent actions
Record whether a proposed action is supported for this specific aspirin preparation and what remains unresolved.
- Do the exact product instructions support the proposed splitting, crushing, chewing, dissolving or dispersing action? action
- When comparing two aspirin preparations, which differences in strength, release designation or co-active ingredients require further review before substitution? boundary
Aspirin quality and stability Connects chemical quality, storage history and package condition to an evidenced suitability decision.
Aspirin identity can remain asserted while content, impurity levels or storage evidence fail the criteria for a proposed use.
Assay and degradation evidence
Records measured aspirin content and relevant impurity evidence against a named specification.
Aspirin content and salicylic acid assessment
Keep acetylsalicylic acid assay results and any salicylic acid or other impurity results distinct, with methods and acceptance criteria.
- What do applicable tests report for acetylsalicylic acid content and salicylic acid or other specified impurities? measurement
- Which specification and analytical method support accepting or rejecting these results for the intended material role? provenance
Storage, package and disposition
Assesses actual exposure and packaging against requirements for the particular aspirin material.
Continued suitability evidence
Record batch-linked expiry or retest information, package integrity, storage excursions and the resulting disposition.
- What expiry or retest date, moisture-protection requirements and storage conditions apply to this batch or preparation? provenance
- Given observed package damage, storage excursions or missing history, what evidence supports retention, testing, quarantine or disposal? action
Aspirin use constraints and traceability Links a proposed use to authoritative product evidence, necessary clinical context and batch status.
A chemically identified aspirin preparation is not sufficient evidence that a particular administration or supply action is appropriate.
Clinical context interface
Identifies the external patient and treatment information required before assessing a proposed administration.
Proposed use evidence
Record the proposed purpose and applicable instructions, with unresolved restrictions referred to linked clinical models.
- What proposed use is being evaluated, and which current product information or clinical guidance applies to this preparation and jurisdiction? provenance
- What information is required about age, salicylate hypersensitivity, bleeding risk, pregnancy, concurrent medicines and planned procedures before this proposed use can be assessed? boundary
Batch and supply status
Associates a physical aspirin preparation with its source and any applicable quality restriction.
Traceable product status
Record identifiers sufficient to match this aspirin material to supplier evidence and product or batch notices.
- Which manufacturer, product identifier, strength, formulation and batch identify the aspirin material under review? provenance
- Does an applicable recall, authenticity concern or quality notice require this material to be withheld from supply or use? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Immediate-release oral tablets and capsules at analgesic/antipyretic strengths (typically 325-500 mg)
- Low-dose antiplatelet tablets (commonly 75, 81 or 100 mg depending on market) used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular prophylaxis
- Enteric-coated / gastro-resistant / delayed-release oral forms intended to reduce gastric irritation
- Buffered aspirin combined with antacids meeting a stated acid-neutralising capacity
- Effervescent, dispersible or soluble oral preparations
- Chewable tablets (including 81 mg "baby aspirin" presentations)
- Rectal suppositories (reported strengths include 60-600 mg)
- Parenteral acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. lysine acetylsalicylate 250-500 mg IV in some markets)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q18216 - Item for acetylsalicylic acid / aspirin as a chemical substance
- CAS Registry Number - 50-78-2 - Parent compound
- EC number - 200-064-1 - EINECS; ECHA InfoCard 100.000.059
- ATC - N02BA01 | B01AC06 | A01AD05 - Analgesic/antipyretic; platelet aggregation inhibitor excl. heparin; stomatological
- DrugBank - DB00945 - Drug record
- PubChem CID - 2244 - Compound record
- ChEBI - CHEBI:15365 - Chemical entity of biological interest
- ChEMBL - CHEMBL25 - Bioactive molecule
- InChIKey - BSYNRYMUTXBXSQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N - Standard InChIKey for C9H8O4 aspirin
- RxNorm RXCUI - 1191 - US NLM clinical drug concept for aspirin
- KEGG DRUG / COMPOUND - D00109 / C01405 - JP18/USP aspirin as drug; compound C01405
- Ph. Eur. monograph - 0309 - Acetylsalicylic acid substance monograph, also the BP cross-reference
- WHO eEML medicine ID - 13 - Electronic Essential Medicines List identifier
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- European Pharmacopoeia monograph 0309 Acetylsalicylic acid (EDQM) - identity, purity and assay 99.5-101.0% on the dried substance
- British Pharmacopoeia Aspirin (cross-ref to Ph. Eur. 0309) plus finished-product monographs for tablets, dispersible, effervescent, gastro-resistant and combination tablets
- United States Pharmacopeia aspirin substance and dosage-form monographs, including dissolution and delayed-release drug-release tests cited by FDA
- Japanese Pharmacopoeia Aspirin (JP18) as the named JP/USP drug in KEGG
- 21 CFR Part 343 (US FDA) OTC internal analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic monograph, including buffered-aspirin acid-neutralising capacity and USP dissolution cross-references
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines / International Pharmacopoeia - acetylsalicylic acid as an essential analgesic, antipyretic and antithrombotic
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology ATC/DDD codes N02BA01, B01AC06, A01AD05
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Sold over the counter worldwide as tablets, chewables, effervescent powders and combinations for adult headache, musculoskeletal pain, fever and cold-and-flu packs
- Taken as a once-daily low dose for secondary prevention after myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke or coronary revascularisation, and chewed at 162-325 mg in suspected acute coronary syndrome
- Still used at anti-inflammatory doses for some rheumatic indications, though other NSAIDs have largely displaced high-dose aspirin for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Exceptional paediatric use in Kawasaki disease, against the general rule not to give aspirin to children or teenagers with viral illness
- Encountered as a laboratory chemical (white crystalline solid, vinegar odour when damp) and as a reference CRS in pharmacopoeial identity tests
- Present in some unexpected OTC products (e.g. Alka-Seltzer-type effervescents) under the names acetylsalicylic acid, acetylsalicylate or salicylate
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Assay (dried substance) - 99.5-101.0 - % w/w
- Molar mass - 180.16 - g/mol
- Melting point (with decomposition; method-dependent) - 136-143 - °C
- Aqueous pKa (carboxylic acid, ~25 °C) - 3.48-3.5 - pKa units
- Water solubility at 20 °C - ~3 - g/L
- Solid density - 1.35-1.40 - g/cm³
- Antiplatelet oral unit dose - 75-100 (US commonly 81) - mg
- Analgesic/antipyretic oral unit dose - 325-650 - mg
- Acute toxic ingestion (aspirin equivalent) - <150 generally non-toxic; 150-300 mild-moderate; >300 potentially lethal - mg/kg
- Duration of platelet COX-1 blockade - life of the platelet, about 7-10 - days
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Hydrolysis on moisture to salicylic acid plus acetic acid (vinegar odour, loss of the acetyl group that confers irreversible COX blockade)
- Gastrointestinal mucosal injury, ulcer and clinically important bleeding, amplified by the lasting antiplatelet effect
- Reye syndrome when given to children or adolescents with influenza or varicella
- Dose-dependent salicylate poisoning (tinnitus, mixed respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis, hyperthermia; case fatality much higher than paracetamol in comparable paediatric series)
- Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease in a subset of people with asthma and nasal polyps
- Hypersensitivity and cross-reactivity within NSAIDs
- Perioperative and intracranial bleeding risk while platelet function remains suppressed
- Drug-drug competition: other NSAIDs can occupy platelet COX-1 and blunt aspirin's irreversible acetylation if taken around the same time
- Systemic toxicity from other salicylates (especially methyl salicylate / oil of wintergreen) misread as "aspirin-type" products
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- In the United States "aspirin" is the established generic name and 81 mg "baby aspirin" is the usual low-dose strength; Bayer remains a brand among many
- In Germany and much of continental Europe the INN/trivial name is Acetylsalicylsäure / ASS; Aspirin is still strongly associated with the Bayer trademark
- UK cardiovascular prophylaxis is commonly 75 mg gastro-resistant aspirin rather than 81 mg
- Australia and several other markets standardise low-dose presentations around 100 mg
- IV lysine acetylsalicylate is a hospital option in some European formularies and is not part of the US OTC tablet culture
- After Reye-syndrome warnings, paediatric antipyretic use collapsed across high-income countries in favour of paracetamol or ibuprofen; Kawasaki disease remains a named exception
- Chinese standard name 乙酰水杨酸 alongside the loanword 阿司匹林; Dutch usage includes acetylsalicylzuur and the older short form acetosal
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Salicylic acid - The non-acetylated parent is used mainly as a topical keratolytic; aspirin is the 2-O-acetyl ester. Pharmacopoeial hydrolysis (NaOH boil then acidification) precipitates salicylic acid from aspirin and is a standard identity test.
- Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) and other non-acetyl salicylates - They generate salicylate toxicity without aspirin's covalent COX-1 acetylation. A 5 mL swallow of ~98% methyl salicylate is treated as a potentially lethal salicylate load, not as an aspirin tablet equivalent by count.
- Ibuprofen (and other reversible NSAIDs such as naproxen) - They bind COX reversibly and do not produce a multi-day antiplatelet effect; they are the usual paediatric antipyretic alternative. Separation is by structure (not a salicylate ester) and by platelet-function recovery within hours rather than 7-10 days.
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen) - Not an NSAID: antipyretic/analgesic without useful antiplatelet or anti-inflammatory action at ordinary doses, and a different overdose syndrome (hepatic, not salicylate). Label INN and absence of salicylate on serum assay separate them.
- Clopidogrel and other P2Y12 inhibitors - Antiplatelet by a different receptor pathway; they do not acetylate COX. Indication overlap in secondary prevention is resolved by drug class and by platelet-function assays that distinguish COX-dependent from ADP-dependent aggregation.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of aspirin this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Acetylsalicylic Acid-Primus Inter Pares in Pharmacology - Chemistry, crystal forms, hydrolysis to salicylate plus acetate, irreversible COX acetylation, ATC N02BA01, DrugBank DB00945, brand examples
- Aspirin | C9H8O4 | CID 2244 - Molecular formula, CAS 50-78-2, Wikidata Q18216, RxCUI 1191, FDA pharmacologic class (NSAID and platelet aggregation inhibitor), COX-mediated effects on pain, fever and platelets
- Acetylsalicylsäure - IUPAC name, identifiers (CAS, EC, ECHA, PubChem, DrugBank, Wikidata), ATC codes N02BA01/B01AC06/A01AD05, physical constants, German naming (ASS vs Aspirin trademark)
- aspirin (Q18216) - Canonical Wikidata item and multilingual labels for the substance
- KEGG DRUG: Aspirin - KEGG D00109/C01405, CAS, ATC mapping, JP18/USP naming, NSAID and antiplatelet classification
- Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid, Ph. Eur. monograph 0309) - BP/Ph. Eur. definition as 2-(acetyloxy)benzoic acid, assay 99.5-101.0% dried substance, appearance, solubility, loss on drying, listed dosage-form monographs
- 21 CFR Part 343 - Internal Analgesic, Antipyretic, and Antirheumatic Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use - US FDA OTC monograph classes (aspirin, buffered aspirin) and USP dissolution/drug-release requirements for tablets and delayed-release forms
- Salicylic Acid (Aspirin) - StatPearls - Irreversible vs reversible COX binding, dosage forms and strengths, pharmacokinetics, Reye syndrome, adult indications including MI prophylaxis and arthritis
- Reye's syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Paediatric contraindication after viral illness, synonym trap with salicylate names, Kawasaki-disease exception
- Salicylate poisoning: An evidence-based consensus guideline for out-of-hospital management - Acute toxic dose thresholds, distinction of aspirin from other salicylates (including methyl salicylate), paediatric poisoning epidemiology after Reye warnings
What the second pass must settle
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin preparations, requiring this registry entry to link to that model?
- Should this registry entry own both bulk acetylsalicylic acid and finished preparations, or represent finished medicines through linked product models?
- Which authoritative specifications and analytical methods should govern identity, assay and impurity assessment for each supported material role?
- Which markets and aspirin formulations must be covered, and what verified sources establish their preparation and substitution constraints?
- What minimum linked clinical information and review authority are required before an agent may move from recording aspirin facts to supporting a specific use decision?