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Officials from Illinois said Friday that a person who had recently used an electronic cigarette and who had been hospitalized for a serious lung disease had died.
Death appears to be the first among a series of mysterious lung diseases currently under investigation by state and federal health officials in relation to a vaping – at least 193 cases in 22 states, including many teenagers and young adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control. and prevention.
Reports on the number of people hospitalized for vaping-related lung disease doubled last week, officials said in a statement. At least 22 people aged 17 to 38 years had a respiratory illness after using electronic or vaporized cigarettes, he added.
State officials are working with local health units to investigate another 12 people.
The people affected have had symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue, officials said. Some also had vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms worsened for days or weeks before their hospitalization.
Officials from Illinois said the death was committed on an adult who died this month, but they did not provide any additional information about this individual, nor about the device or the product used.
Although some of the cases seem similar, officials said they were not sure if the diseases were associated with the electronic cigarette devices themselves or the specific ingredients or contaminants that were inhaled there.
Health officials said that patients had described vaping of various substances, including nicotine, marijuana-based products, and home-made crafts.
In many cases reported throughout the country, including in Illinois, patients have acknowledged using products containing THC, the main ingredient that produces high levels of marijuana, officials said. No specific products have been identified in all cases, nor have any products been conclusively linked to diseases.
Even though the cases seem similar, it is not clear whether all these cases have a common cause or whether there are different diseases with similar symptoms.
Officials said Friday that they did not know why a resurgence of diseases was currently surfacing, given that various forms of battery – powered electronic cigarette devices have been around for more than a decade. Brian King, deputy director of research translation for the CDC's Bureau of Smoking and Health, said that cases may have happened before, "but we did not necessarily capture them."
The substances contained in the electronic cigarette spray may contain ingredients potentially harmful to lung health, he said. They include ultrafine particles and flavors, such as diacetyl, which have been linked to respiratory diseases.
Mitch Zeller, who runs the Tobacco Products Center of the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency used to identify the products used, where they had been purchased, how they had been used and if other compounds had been added.
"This information needs to be linked together for each of these cases to see if trends are emerging," he said.
Health officials have stated that people with chest pain or breathing difficulties after a vaping in the weeks or months preceding these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
Health care officials taking care of patients with an unplanned respiratory illness should ask about their history of e-cigarette vaping or use, officials said.
Officials also urge people suffering from this type of symptoms after they have been vaping at the FDA's safety reporting portal.
The electronic cigarette has gained popularity over the past decade despite little research on their long-term effects. In recent years, health authorities have warned of a teenage vape epidemic. Millions of Americans use electronic cigarettes, especially among young adults.
According to the CDC, in 2018, more than 3.6 million high school and US high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days. The leading brand, Juul, said she was monitoring disease reports and had "robust safety monitoring systems".
2019 © The Washington Post
This article was originally published by The Washington Post.
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