Reactions 1455 - 8 Jun 2013

SBarium

Cough in an elderly patient following aspiration:case report

An 87-year-old man, who was to undergo a barium swallowtest [dosage not stated] for investigation of dysphagia,aspirated some of the barium and began to cough vigorously.Chest x-ray revealed barium in both the right and left mainbronchi and subsegmental bronchi in both lower lobes. Hewas admitted to the emergency room with a oxygen saturationof 95% on air but no signs of respiratory compromise. He wasadmitted to a ward for observation and further investigation ofhis dysphagia. He continued to expectorate barium and, byday 3, chest x-ray showed no barium remaining. He wasdischarged 10 days later.

Author comment: "Aspiration is a rare but recognisedcomplication of barium swallows."Haden M, et al. Barium aspiration. Emergency Medicine Journal 29: 1018, No. 12,Dec 2012. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2012-201759- United Kingdom 803087879

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Reactions 8 Jun 2013 No. 14550114-9954/10/1455-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved