F1000Research· 2026Q1· Case report
Case Report: Two-year consequences of barium sulfate aspiration
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Aspiration of barium sulfate can lead to persistent pulmonary deposits visible on radiographs for at least two years, with minimal systemic absorption indicated by low plasma and moderate urine concentrations.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Aspiration of barium sulfate can result in pulmonary deposits persisting radiographically for at least two years.
- The patient experienced acute symptoms including dyspnea and hypoxemia, recovering with supportive care.
- At two-year follow-up, plasma barium was <0.5 μg/L, while urine barium was 13.6 μg/L.
- Findings suggest limited systemic absorption of retained pulmonary barium over a two-year period.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Aspiration of barium sulfate is a rare but recognized complication of upper gastrointestinal contrast studies. While the acute clinical manifestations have been widely reported, information on the long-term radiographic course and systemic absorption of retained pulmonary barium is scarce. We describe an 88-year-old man with chronic oropharyngeal dysphagia related to previous ischemic stroke and dementia who aspirated a high-density barium sulfate suspension (250% w/v) during an upper gastrointestinal study. He developed dyspnea, hypoxemia (lowest oxygen saturation 91%), and chemical pneumonitis, but recovered with supportive treatment. Serial chest radiographs showed gradual clearance of the aspirated barium, although residual pulmonary deposits remained visible two years later. At the two-year follow-up, the plasma barium concentration was <0.5 μg/L, whereas the urine barium concentration was 13.6 μg/L. These findings suggest that retained pulmonary barium may persist radiographically for years with little evidence of substantial systemic absorption. This case provides long-term radiographic follow-up together with biomonitoring data after barium sulfate aspiration, a combination that has rarely been reported.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. F1000Research, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Speech and Hearing
Speech and HearingHealth Professions