Charcoal is a sensitive, specific, and stable marker for the diagnosis of aspiration in hamsters.

The diagnosis of recurrent aspiration in young children is a perpetual challenge because there is no specific gold standard test to be used. The finding of lipid-laden alveolar macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a sensitive but nonspecific marker for the diagnosis of aspiration. We conducted a short-term study comparing tracheal instillation of saline, milk, or a milk-charcoal mixture in hamsters.