h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When I was young I fell off my bike. Nothing unusual there, I used to do it quite a lot. I was always quite tall and grew very quickly at times, and riding a bike that you are too big for can often mean getting tangled up with oneself and balance goes off kilter. This time though it hurt more than usual as I landed directly on my left elbow. So I went inside to call my mum, who if memory serves gave me 2 junior asprin and told me not to be silly, as I hadn't really hurt myself. The next day it still hurt but hadn't swollen or bruised, so more junior asprin and admonisments.
This carried on for about five days until saturday when I was supposed to tidy my room. By this time my elbow hurt so much I couldn't move it, but my parents, being parents, thought that this was a ploy to get out of my chore. So they took me to casualty to prove me wrong.
The doctor told me I hadn't hurt myself, and my parents not to waste his time. My parents explained that they were proving me wrong so the doctor sent me for an x-ray. At this point the doctor (I am absolutely sure of this by the way) told the radiographer that as I was faking it she could vent the frustration of working for the NHS on my arm. So she wrenched, pulled, twisted, yanked and became very medeavil with my arm. I screamed.
The x-ray , as you have probably guessed by now, showed quite a nasty break of my humerous, right at the end as it joined the bones of the forearm. It never did bruise or swell. The arm still won't go completely straight and aches in cold weather.
My mother by the way had been a peadiatric nurse for many years, but thats not what bothers me.
Whatever happened to junior asprin, thats what I want to know?

We still have baby aspirin in the US

My broken arm story is remarkably similar!

Lucky you it seems that the world of child medicine has been taken over by a foul strawberry flavour liqid called calpol in the uk

yuk

I could do with some of those baby/junior asprin now, I've got the remains of a hangover but not enough of a headache to go any further on the pain killers. Incedentaly I've just seen an advert for another new child painkiller, junior nurofen, has anyone noted that ibuprofen (the main ingredient) can affect asthmatics? Is it just me or is that just a smidgen of a fraction of a touch daft? Bet it tastes terrible too!

Yes, we sadistic git's called A & E nurses are not alowed to give out the paediatric ibuprofen willy-nilly, lots of checks etc. that often (understandbly) go unnoticed by the stressed out parents of a child in pain. But has anyone else noticed the rise in asthma cases, it seems every other young Jane or Jonny is diagnosed with asthma!!! They then get to eighteen and "grow out of it", marvelous, but not something I yet fully understand, any Dr.s or Biologist's care to answer?? Something to do with lung maturity or lazy GP's pigeonholeing an age group??

Good of you to answer. but what does the stuff taste of? Most childhood medicines taste vaguely of fruit but moreso of sickly artificial sweetners. More accurately the fruit type flavour is almost exactly like the plants in McDonalds very fake very plastic and very not like the real thing. The campaign for the return of junior asprin starts here!!!!
Incidentally my daughter is more than likely one of the little Janes you mentioned, diagnosed with asthma, yet it only shows up when she has a cold! Nothing like the asthma attacks I had as a child, which could strike at any time. One was even caused by a kangaroo skin purse which is a whole other story. My Dad's asthma turned out to be lung cancer so I do feel the bandwagon is all to easily leapt upon by our stock of over worked doctors. It would be nice to be examined properly rather than just getting a diagnosis based on statistical probability as soon as you walk through the door.

The Ibuprofen syrup that I've tasted ain't no pint of guiness on a hot summers day, sickly-gip is a good expression used by one of the children I treated. As for acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), well sorry, but the first caution given in the "British National Formulary" is asthma, and it's contra-indicated in children under 12 years of age, something to do with Reye's syndrome (lovingly described as "wet brain, fatty liver")
:-o

Anyone find paracetamol crushed up in jam too offensive??

I'm fine with it as long as it keeps the kiddies quiet long enough to enjoy the pint of guinness you mentioned. Now if they made something that tasted of junior asprin my dreams would be answered!

assuming that it's NOT guiness that's junior aspirin flavoured...

In answer to what happened to baby aspirin, it was found to cause a serious disorder called Reye syndrome in enough children that it is no longer recommended.

Reye syndrome effects all the organs in your body, but it is most dangerous to the brain as it causes swelling that can lead to permanent damage or death.