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Worldwide Shortage of Barium

Posted by Soulskill on from the out-of-our-element dept.

New submitter redhat_redneck writes "The U.S. and Canada has been experiencing a shortage of barium sulfate, which is used as contrast for upper and lower GI studies. It has reached the point where doctors are being asked not to order these exams except in emergencies, and some exams are being cancelled. Here's the letter that's been put out by the manufacturer. The longer this drags on, the more serious this issue becomes, eventually impacting patients and healthcare providers in both cost and quality of care. Some sources point to a dramatic drop in Chinese production. In their defense, it seems China is changing safety regulations. Medical use only make a fraction of the uses of barium sulfate, but it's going to be disproportionately affected by this shortage. We can't go back to our old contrast Thorotrast; it causes cancer. Does anyone know of alternatives to barium?"

2 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. I smell oil. by Anachragnome · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Barium Sulfate is also HUGELY important in oil well drilling mud.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drilling_fluid#Composition_of_drilling_mud

    China putting a crimp on drilling mud could have some interesting effects, I'm sure. What makes little sense is the complaining about a shortage in hospitals, where a dose is less then an ounce, when oil drillers are pumping the stuff into the ground by the ton...daily...all over the world. Unless of course somebody wants us to get excited about China stepping on the hose without us finding out where the real shortage is.

    I wonder who that might be. I also wonder who submitted this story.

  2. Diatrizoic Acid by gee_cee0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Gastrografin is already being used as a viable alternative to barium in radiological studies as contrast for imaging the Gastro-Intestinal (GI) tract, especially in patients where bowel perforation may be imminent (barium spills into the abdominal cavity as a result, causing barium peritonitis; while rare, it is an incredibly deadly complication), in conditions such as intestinal obstruction, for example. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatrizoic_acid Given that I am but a medical student, this is fairly well known in the medical world. Which makes this an odd question to ask...