Introduction:
Reports of the pulmonary sequelae of cinnamon aspiration are absent despite cinnamon’s ubiquity and the popularity of “the cinnamon challenge” around 20121. Nevertheless, our review of the National Poison Data System (2009-2018) found that cinnamon poisonings lead to “moderate” (e.g. wheezing, moderate shortness of breath) or “major” (e.g. respiratory/cardiac arrest) effects in 5.9% and 0.11% of cases, respectively. Here, we detail a case of cinnamon-induced respiratory failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and therapeutic bronchoscopies for survival.