From the Desk of Mayer Eisenstein MD,JD,MPH

From the Desk of Mayer Eisenstein MD,JD,MPH

Did Aspirin Contributed to the Incidence and Severity of Viral Pathology, Bacterial Infection, and Death During the 1918 Flu?



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October 11, 2009
Salicylates and Pandemic Influenza Mortality
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Article Headline

Salicylates and Pandemic Influenza Mortality, 1918-1919 Pharmacology, Pathology, and Historic Evidence
Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009;49:000-000

Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009;49:000-000
Karen M. M.D.

The high case fatality rate especially among young adults during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is incompletely understood. Although late deaths showed bacterial pneumonia, early deaths exhibited extremely "wet," sometimes hemorrhagic lungs.

The hypothesis presented herein is that aspirin contributed to the incidence and severity of viral pathology, bacterial infection, and death,

because physicians of the day were unaware that the regimens (8.0-31.2 g per day) produce levels associated with hyperventilation and pulmonary edema in 33% and 3% of recipients, respectively. Recently, pulmonary edema was found at autopsy in 46% of 26 salicylate


intoxicated adults. Experimentally, salicylates increase lung fluid and protein levels and impair mucociliary clearance.

In 1918, the US Surgeon General, the US Navy, and the Journal of the American Medical Association recommended use of aspirin just before the October death spike. If these recommendations were followed, and if pulmonary edema occurred in 3% of persons, a significant proportion of the deaths may be attributable to aspirin.

Article Headline
Dr Eisenstein's Comments:


In 1918 the the US Surgeon General, the US Navy, and the Journal of the American Medical Association recommended use of aspirin just before the October death spike and it may have been responsible for a significant proportion of the deaths.

Fast forward to 2009 and the CDC, US Surgeon General, The American Academy of Pediatrics, etc. are recommending the ineffective and dangerous Swine and Seasonal Flu Vaccines. Must history repeat itself?

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
George Santayana



My recommendations:

1. Vitamin D levels greater than 60ng/ml
2. No aspirin, Tylenol, Aleve etc. for fever
3. Lots of fluids and chicken soup
4. And "NO" Swine or Seasonal flu vaccines