What's the association between aspirin & reye syndrome?

Not causal: Reye's syndrome is a rapidly progressive encephalopathy with associated liver damage which often follows a few days after influenza or zoster infections. The incidence of this complication is associated with Aspirin use. The number of cases has declined dramatically since 1980.

Liver failure/coma: In the 60's & 70's a dreadful problem arose in kids with flu or chickenpox who seemed to get better, then lapsed into a coma & died of liver failure. After a link to Aspirin was found we quit giving it to kids <16 unless they had rare illnesses like kawasaki or jra.There has been a dramatic decline in cases since.Those of us who treated cases know it well.