title: Large-volume barium aspiration.
abstract: We present a case of large-volume barium aspiration in a 56-year-old woman with stage IV tongue squamous cell carcinoma and longstanding dysphagia. The patient rapidly developed hypoxemic respiratory failure from the resultant chemical pneumonitis. However, her respiratory status improved with supportive care alone in 48 hours. Barium aspiration is rare and often produces dramatic radiographic findings, but is generally associated with a favorable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Hundemer, Vaduganathan), and the Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (Kumar).
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hundemer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Hundemer, Vaduganathan), and the Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (Kumar).
authors.forename: Varun
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Hundemer, Vaduganathan), and the Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (Kumar).
authors.forename: Muthiah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaduganathan
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