Docs, patients dealing with shortage of barium

Austin area medical facilities that perform X-rays and other kinds of imaging have been dealing with a nationwide shortage of barium, causing doctors to scramble and some patients to wait longer to do a test. The Austin Radiological Association—one of the largest imaging providers in Central Texas—received some barium this month but not all that it requested, said Dr. Ronald Hoelscher, one of its radiologists. For now, it is able to "schedule and perform all exams that require barium."