RT Journal
A1 Mandel G, Sod L
T1 Re: Internal medicine at large
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1975
FD September 1
VO 135
IS 9
SP 1268
OP 1268
DO 10.1001/archinte.1975.00330090140018
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1975.00330090140018
AB To the Editor. 
    —In the December 1974 issue of the Archives (134:981, 1974) is shown a plain chest x-ray film and a barium swallow from a patient who swallowed the pull-tab from a beer can. The caption mentions that Lee F. Rogers, MD, told the American College of Radiology that plain chest films will not show the position of the aluminum tab in the esophagus.We had a case of a teenage boy who also swallowed an aluminum tab that he placed into a soda can prior to drinking. However, plain chest x-ray films may show the site of the tab in the esophagus as was seen in the accompanying x-ray films. A barium swallow was therefore not needed, and our patient had successful removal of the tab with esophagoscopy.