A patient has a severe headache shortly before getting her blood tested. She takes a couple of aspirin and is scheduled for platelet aggregation studies. What effect will this have on the platelet aggregation studies?
A) Platelets will show diminished activity with selected agonists.
B) Platelets will show normal activity with all agonists.
C) Platelets will show increased activity with selected agonists.
D) Platelets will show variable activity with all agonists.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation by irreversibly inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which leads to decreased production of thromboxane A2, a potent platelet aggregator. Therefore, platelets will show diminished activity with selected agonists in patients who have recently taken aspirin.

A Patient Has a Severe Headache Shortly Before Getting Her