title: Respiratory failure as presentation of achalasia of the oesophagus.
abstract: A 68-year-old woman with a history of hiatus hernia developed aspiration pneumonia after operation for fractured neck of femur. After 8 days, acute respiratory failure was caused by massive retention of air and food in the oesophagus. This was relieved by aspiration, and treated by balloon dilation of the gastric cardia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sha Tin, New Territories.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000150:complications; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*