Full form/ Meaning:

Acetylsalicyclic acid

Definition:

Acetylsalicyclic acid, commonly known as aspirin, is a common drug used to treat pain, fever and inflammation. It is estimated that 40,000 tonnes (50 to 120 billion pills) of ASA is being consumed each year as it remains one of the most widely used medications globally (Drugs.com, 2017).It is the first drugs among other non-opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) listed under medicine for pain and palliative care in the 19th World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines (WHO, 2015).

Usage in Sentence:

“When I saw the doctor’s prescription, I couldn’t tell initially that ASA is same as Aspirin”

Do you know?

Prolonged use of ASA is a leading cause of peptic ulcer disease. It can also cause Reye’s syndrome, which is a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children. Hence, it is advisable not administer this medicine to a child or teenager with a fever, flu symptoms, or chicken pox (Drugs.com, 2017).

References

Drugs.com (2015). Aspirin. Available at https://www.drugs.com/aspirin.html                                       WHO (2015). 19th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (April 2015). Available at http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/essentialmedicines/en/