Situations where barium aspiration may occur:
(1) tracheo-esophageal fistula
(2) difficulty swallowing
(3) gastric hypomotility AND vomiting
(4) direct gastric installation of contrast through a gastrostomy tube
Clinical features:
(1) The person shows clinical signs of aspiration such as cough, dyspnea and/or hypoxia.
(2) A chest radiograph shows outlines of bronchi, with involvement usually of the lower lobes.
The risk of morbidity and mortality is high, especially if
(1) the patient already has comorbid conditions.
(2) significant amounts of gastric acid are aspirated
(3) aspiration pneumonia occurs
