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.