Cardiopulmonary arrest following barium enema examination with glucagon

This is a case report of a patient who presented to the hospital's ambulatory radiology suites for a barium enema to evaluate guaiac-positive stools. The patient, after receiving glucagon 0.5 mg iv and a small amount of rectally administered barium sulfate, experienced an "itchy tingling" feeling, vomited, became diaphoretic, and had a cardiopulmonary arrest. Despite a prompt response by the cardiac arrest team, the patient could not be resuscitated. This case demonstrates the potential for serious reactions during this procedure.