An 11-year-old boy is brought to the Emergency Department with a gradual-onset, pressure-type frontal headache following a recent viral illness. His mother reports giving him aspirin overnight for fever because “it was the only painkiller we had at home.”

On assessment he appears slightly confused, has vomited twice, and is intermittently slow to respond to questions. There is no photophobia, no meningism, and his neurological examination is non-focal. Capillary glucose is normal.

A junior resident expresses concern about possible early Reye syndrome and asks you:

“Remind me please — aspirin is contraindicated in which age group because of the risk of Reye syndrome?