SummaryThirty‐two asthmatic children, mean age 9.6 years (range: 6–14 years), were studied by oral challenge with acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin), and their PEFR was recorded at 30 min intervals for 3 hr. They had been asthmatic for a mean of 7.1 years. Other allergic symptoms (urticaria, rhinitis or atopic dermatitis), were present in 81 of the patients, and a family history of atopy in 94; the mean blood eosinophilia was 590 cells per mm3. In three children aspirin induced a fall in PEFR values less than 8 which was non‐significant. In the group as a whole there was an increase in the PEFR values of 13.9, 150 min after aspirin challenge. These values where subjected to statistical analysis (Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Student's and Wilcoxon tests), which showed this increase to be significant at a level ofP= 0.001. Possible mechanisms involving prostaglandin synthetase inhibition by aspirin are discussed as an explanation for this i
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