*  Found by arranging the values in order and then selecting the one in the middle.

Austria = 90 Minutes
Belgium = 180 Minutes
Croatia = 140 Minutes
Czech Republic = 150 Minutes
France = 68 Minutes
Germany = 100 Minutes
Greece = 180 Minutes
Hungary = 210 Minutes
Italy = 117 Minutes
Israel = 90 Minutes
Lithuania = 60 Minutes
F.Y.R.Macedonia = 147 Minutes
Poland = 118 Minutes
Romania = 176 Minutes
Serbia = 60 Minutes
Slovakia = 175 Minutes
Slovenia = 97 Minutes
Spain = 118 Minutes
Sweden = 120 Minutes
Switzerland = 90 Minutes
UK = 68 Minutes

Data extracted from: European Heart Journal: Reperfusion therapy for ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in Europe: Description of the current situation in 30 countries. November 19th 2009. :

Petr Widimsky, William Wijns, Jean Fajadet, Mark de Belder, Jiri Knot, Lars Aaberge, George Andrikopoulos, Jose Antonio Baz, Amadeo Betriu, Marc Claeys, Nicholas Danchin, Slaveyko Djambazov, Paul Erne, Juha Hartikainen, Kurt Huber, Petr Kala, Milka Klinčeva, Steen Dalby Kristensen, Peter Ludman, Josephina Mauri Ferre, Bela Merkely, Davor Miličić, Joao Morais, Marko Noč, Grzegorz Opolski, Miodrag Ostojić, Dragana Radovanovič, Stefano De Servi, Ulf Stenestrand, Martin Studenčan, Marco Tubaro, Zorana Vasiljević, Franz Weidinger, Adam Witkowski.

As you probably know Dr Chris Steele is the award winning resident Doctor on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ programme and has been on the show since the first day back in 1987!  Dr Steele qualified as a doctor in 1968 and has worked as a GP ever since.  Dr Chris, a long time supporter of Aspod and ‘immediate’ aspirin, has recently launched a fantastic health newsletter called ‘Dr Chris Confidential’.   The weekly newsletter has been receiving rave reviews across the internet for its fascinating insights into the health matters and important issues that we should all be aware of today – and it’s totally free!

Sign up for the newsletter by clicking the link below and check out his ‘Get Personal’ section.

http://www.drchrisconfidential.com/

Don’t forget to keep ‘immediate’ aspirin close to hand,  just like the Doctor does!

There are several versions of an email circulating which state that Bayer Quick Release Crystals (powder) is suitable for use as ‘immediate’ aspirin in case of a suspected heart attack – it is NOT. These emails go on to suggest that the recipient forwards the email to ten of their contacts in order to ’save lives’.   Bayer Extra Strength Quick Release Crystals contain much more aspirin than is required for use as ‘immediate’ aspirin and also contains 65mg of caffeine which can increase heart rate. This product has been withdrawn from the market but is still available on the internet. One can only surmise that these emails are circulated by stockists eager to sell their stock – at any cost – before it goes out of date. Bayer, the inventors of aspirin, confirm that Quick Release Crystals should NOT be used in cases of suspected heart attack in the FAQ section of their information website wonderdrug.com, see below.

“Q. Can I use Bayer Quick Release Crystals at the onset of a heart attack?

A. No. This formula contains caffeine as an adjunct which aids in the action of the aspirin for pain relief. It has not been assessed for its appropriateness in treating a suspected heart attack, so it is not appropriate for cardiovascular use.“

On 30th September 2010 a conference was held at Cardiff University in Celebration of United Nations International Day of Older People, and the theme was ‘Promoting Active and Healthy Ageing’. Around 180 delegates attended the Conference, a high proportion were from Health Departments, Departments of Social Work and the Voluntary sector. Cardiff University included an ASPOD® in each delegate pack.

More information here >

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/newsandevents/events/unidop.pdf

” Randomised trials have shown that the earlier aspirin is taken by patients with myocardial infarction, the greater the reduction in deaths. We suggest, therefore, that patients known to be at risk of an AMI, including older people, should be advised to carry a few tablets of soluble aspirin at all times, and chew and swallow a tablet immediately, if they experience severe chest pain.

A cross-European study estimated that the median FMC in the UK is 68 minutes, but in other European countries the median delay was around 150–200 minutes. It seems, therefore, that the opportunity is widespread for what could be termed ‘immediate’ aspirin, that is, aspirin taken while medical help is awaited.

In a series of hospital admissions Garcia-Dorado et al.16 judged that “aspirin … converts 50% of potential AMIs to unstable angina and 20% of Q-wave infarctions to non-Q-wave lesions”. On the other hand, Ridker et al. failed to confirm this in the US Physicians study, but conceded that “aspirin therapy may result in a shift of fatal events to severe non-fatal events, severe events to mild events and mild events to no events”.

Blood from cigarette smokers has been shown to generate in vitro thrombi that are twice the volume of those in blood from non-smokers, while the ingestion of aspirin by smokers reduced the subsequent thrombus volume to a substantially greater degree (by 62%) compared with the reduction (38%) caused in non-smokers.30 Clearly, the earlier aspirin is taken during thrombosis, and particularly by smokers, the more important these non-platelet effects are likely to be.

The absorption of aspirin has been studied extensively. The drug in soluble and dispersible tablets is absorbed much more rapidly than from the standard tablet. Muir et al. reported that five minutes after ingestion of a soluble form, the levels of aspirin in the plasma were about 15 times the level after ingestion of the same dose in a plain tablet. Feldman found a 50% inhibition of thromboxane A2 within five minutes after a 325 mg tablet is chewed and swallowed.

Self-administration of aspirin by a subject at the time of calling an ambulance would, however, be appropriate whatever the subsequent interventions.

The administration of aspirin as early as possible during the process of thrombosis and infarction, and, hence, the effectiveness of the drug would be enhanced if patients judged to be at risk carried a few ‘adult’ (300 mg) tablets of aspirin at all times, and were instructed to chew and swallow a tablet immediately they experience symptoms suggestive of infarction. Patients to whom this is recommended should include all those known to be at increased vascular risk, and this should include older persons – perhaps those over the age of about 45 or 50 years.

The peak incidence of AMI is in the early morning and patients may be more hesitant about calling for help in those early hours. Platelets appear to be most sensitive to aggregating agents in the early morning, and in the US Physicians Health Study it was found that the eduction in AMI by aspirin was significantly greater for the events that occurred in the early morning (59%), than for those that occurred later in the day (34%). The taking of aspirin by persons themselves could, therefore, be particularly appropriate at these times.

Around 30% of patients presenting with an AMI are known to already have coronary disease, and these are likely to be on daily low-dose spirin. Others, such as patients on a statin or an antihypertensive agent, are known to be at high risk of a thrombotic event and a high proportion of these are also likely to be on aspirin. There is evidence, however, that many of these, perhaps even around half such patients, are not actually taking the drug. In any case, the half-life of aspirin in the circulation is only 15–20 minutes, and it would seem reasonable to surmise that if a thrombus develops despite daily exposure to aspirin, some fresh sensitive platelets are likely to have entered the circulation. If this is the case, an extra dose, say 300 or 600 mg of aspirin, taken in addition to the small daily dose, could be life saving.

The risk of death attributable to aspirin in trial patients is at most 4% per year,51,52 and the risk of death from a single dose of aspirin is likely to be very considerably lower than this.

Immediate aspirin should not, therefore, be advised if symptoms suggest a stroke.

The giving of aspirin by a doctor or a paramedic immediately they have contact with a patient believed to be experiencing an acute AMI, is established practice and is recommended by all the relevant professional bodies. Self-medication in this situation has already been recommended,40,58-61 but appears never to have been actively promoted.

About 35% of all deaths are attributed to coronary heart disease each year, that is 36,000 in the UK and almost 900,000 in the USA, and younger patients among these are proportionately more likely to die before reaching hospital. The earlier aspirin is taken by these patients, the greater the proportionate survival is likely to be.

People judged to be at increased vascular risk, including older persons, should, therefore, be advised to carry a few tablets of soluble aspirin at all times, and chew and swallow a tablet immediately they experience sudden severe chest pain. Consideration should also be given to the inclusion of instruction on the risks and benefits of early aspirin to persons trained in CPR.

The Key Benefits

• The earlier aspirin is given in coronary thrombosis, the greater the reduction in deaths
• It is also likely that early aspirin will reduce the size and severity of a myocardial infarction and it may reduce the risk of ventricular fibrillation
• It is suggested that patients at increased vascular risk, including older people, should carry tablets of soluble aspirin at all times, and chew and swallow a tablet immediately they experience severe chest pain “

‘Time is muscle’: aspirin taken during acute coronary thrombosis
July 2010 Volume 17, Issue 4 British Journal of Cardioligy 2010;17:185-9
Authors: Peter C Elwood, Gareth Morgan, Malcolm Woollard, Andrew D Beswick

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IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY DOSE OF ASPIRIN YOU MUST DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE FIRST – AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CHEW AND SWALLOW ONE 300mg SOLUBLE ASPIRIN.  If in doubt speak to your Doctor.

Researchers studied the effects on German fans of watching their home team compete in the 2006 World Cup finals.
For men the risk of having a heart attack or another cardiovascular problem was three times higher on days when the German team was in action.
Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University found that female fans had an 82% increased risk.
The researchers found that cardiac emergencies usually occurred within two hours of the start of a match.
Aspirin (75mg) is commonly used as a preventive treatment against heart attack. However, in the UK it is a little known fact that chewing and swallowing a 300mg aspirin during a suspected heart attack has been shown to limit damage to the heart muscle and SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the risk of death . What is more, if sudden severe chest pain is experienced by sufferers of unstable angina, whilst at rest, chewing and swallowing a single 300mg aspirin is shown to reduce the relative risk of death by 51% . The guidelines for ambulance crew is to give a 300 mg aspirin tablet immediately to any suspected heart attack patient regardless of any previous aspirin taken that day .

So – be prepared during this year’s World Cup by having an Aspod with you at all times. The ASPOD® has been designed specifically to ensure that a dose of 300mg soluble aspirin is easily accessible in case of a suspected heart attack. It should be carried by adults over the age of 35 who are not allergic to aspirin and do not have ulcer problems.

Ref1. Second International Study of Infarct Survival (ISIS-2) Collaborative Group. Lancet 1988;ii:349–360.

Lewis HD Jr, Davis JW, Archibald DG, et al. Protective effects of aspirin against acute myocardial infarction and death in men with unstable angina. Results of a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study. N Engl J Med 1983;309:396–403.
JRCALC Guidelines 2006

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IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY DOSE OF ASPIRIN YOU MUST DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE FIRST – AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CHEW AND SWALLOW ONE 300mg SOLUBLE ASPIRIN.  If in doubt speak to your Doctor.

Every year almost a quarter of a million people suffer heart attacks in the UK and a third die before reaching hospital*

Aspirin has been shown to reduce deaths from heart attack by 20-25%* and the earlier it is taken, the greater the benefit. When Paramedics are called to a person with a suspected heart attack, the first things they should do, if possible, is to give the patient a 300mg tablet of aspirin (unless the patient is hypersensitive to aspirin). This is referred to as ‘early aspirin’. But, a self-administered dose of aspirin taken upon onset of symptoms can be of even greater benefit; this is referred to as ‘immediate aspirin’.

It has been recommended, by eminent doctors and academics, that people at risk of a heart attack, that is, patients who have already had an attack, have a family history of heart disease, those with high blood pressure or cholesterol, and just about everyone over the age of about 50 years, should carry one or two tablets of soluble aspirin. A tablet to be chewed and swallowed immediately severe chest pain is experienced – even while 999 is being dialled!

What If I Already Take 75mg ‘Daily Aspirin’

A ‘one off’ dose of 300mg aspirin, taken upon onset of chest pain, should not be confused with daily 75mg aspirin. Taking a daily prophylactic 75mg aspirin does not preclude the use of an emergency 300mg dose taken during a suspected heart attack or unstable angina.

Whats the Best Way of Carrying Aspirin?

You can of course carry aspirin in your wallet, bag or purse but you may find that the aspirin crumbles or becomes damp. There is a new device called ASPOD® (aspod.com ) specifically designed to carry an emergency dose of 300mg soluble aspirin. It attaches to your keyring, belt or bag, keeps you aspirin dry, safe and even illuminates so you can find them easily in the dark.

*British Heart Foundation 2007 Heart Disease Statistics

Ref1. Second International Study of Infarct Survival (ISIS-2) Collaborative Group. Lancet 1988;ii:349–360.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY DOSE OF ASPIRIN YOU MUST DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE FIRST – AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CHEW AND SWALLOW ONE 300mg SOLUBLE ASPIRIN.  If in doubt speak to your Doctor.

RF (address withheld)
rxxxxxxxxfxxxxxx@gmail.com

Submitted on 2010/03/15 at 1:43pm

I have just recently purchased a ASPOD pod, trying to purchase 300mg soluble aspirin from the chemist I was told that they could not supply 300mg aspirin without a doctors prescription, can you inform me where I can purchase this size of tablet.

Aspod Support.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY DOSE OF ASPIRIN YOU MUST DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE FIRST – AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CHEW AND SWALLOW ONE 300mg SOLUBLE ASPIRIN.  If in doubt speak to your Doctor.

When Chris Atkinson felt a searing pain in his chest, he knew straight away what was wrong. He had witnessed his father’s heart attack and realised the pain and cold sweats couldn’t be anything else. But the 54 year old was alone in a quiet area of Portsmouth and, with the pain intensifying, he feared he wouldn’t survive – as well as his father, his three uncles had all died of heart attacks.

Then Chris remembered he had an aspirin in his car. The previous week he’d seen a television report on how taking an aspirin during a heart attack can help to reduce the risk of it proving fatal.

Chris rang his wife and asked her to call an ambulance – he was so breathless it seemed simpler than doing it himself – while he staggered to the car and took the cheweable aspirin.

‘It took me two minutes to get to the car and it was a realy struggle, as I was panting for breath and clutching my chest with the pain, but the tought of that aspirin and how it might save ny life drove me on’.

When an ambulance arrived ten minutes later Chris’s lips had gone grey. The first thing they asked was whether he had taken anything. I told them about the aspirin and they said “thank goodness for that”, says Chris. At the hospital, the consultant said the aspirin probably saved my life.

Studies have found that taking an aspirin during a heart attack can literally make the difference between life and death – and the sooner you take one, the better your chance of survival.

One major study showed that taking an aspirin as soon as possible during a heart attack and for a month after reduced the risk of dying by a quarter and those benefits lasted for at least ten years.

Dr Adrian Banning, consultant cardiologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, says about 50 percent of heart attacks prove fatal within the first few hours, so the sooner people take it the better, he says, yet many people do not see a paramedic for on average two hours after the onset of symptoms.

For some it is six hours or longer, as most heart attacks occur in the early morning and people delay calling, thinking that their symptoms are indigestion or a muscular pain.

However, if people get a sharp radiating pain that speads down one arm, I would urge them to take one aspirin – one or two 300mg pills instantly. I’d urge everyone over 50 and everyone with a family history of heart attacks to carry aspirin with them at all times to take in an emergency.

Chris Atkinson has no doubt that calling 999 – and taking an aspirin saved his life.

He now takes a daily aspirin, on his doctor’s advice. And he’s giving all his close friends a special key fob – called an ASPOD – with room to hold emergency aspirin.

It might not seem a terribly exciting present. but one day it might come in very, very useful, he says.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY DOSE OF ASPIRIN YOU MUST DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE FIRST – AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CHEW AND SWALLOW ONE 300mg SOLUBLE ASPIRIN.  If in doubt speak to your Doctor.