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Doctors in western Pennsylvania are preoccupied and frustrated by the rise in vaping-related lung diseases diagnosed in recent weeks.
Pittsburgh joins a growing list of locations that have identified people with respiratory problems related to vaping. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are studying 215 cases of serious pneumonia associated with the use of electronic cigarettes in 25 states, including Pennsylvania, between June 28 and August 27.
In many cases, patients have recently admitted to using products containing THC, the psychoactive compound of marijuana. But the CDC said that no specific product has been identified in all cases and that no product has been conclusively linked to diseases. As a precaution, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration warned the public not to buy vaping products on the street.
In Pennsylvania, eleven suspected cases of severe pulmonary disease associated with vaping were reported on Wednesday, according to Nate Wardle, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. There is a gap between when hospitals treat a case and when it is reported and reflected in the state numbers.
Dr. John Kreit, head of the Pulmonary Division at UPMC Mercy, said the hospital network had hosted 12 patients in recent weeks, including a 16-year-old patient requiring treatment including cancer treatment. Oxygen, ventilation and steroids.
Kreit said most patients had a shortness of breath that progressively worsened. Some patients also had chest pain, nausea, vomiting and high fever.
Kreit said that the symptoms sometimes mimic diseases such as pneumonia, but that the patients are not infected.
"We do not know why this is happening right now," said Kreit. "People have been vaping for a long time."
Dr. Michael Szwerc, a thoracic surgeon and medical director of Excela Health's Advanced Lung Center, is concerned about the recent increase in the number of atypical pneumonia cases.
"In recent years, we have seen several presentations of atypical pneumonia," he said. "Some of these have occurred in relatively young patients who have finally admitted to having been vape."
Szwerc is concerned about the new generation of children and adolescents hooked on nicotine via vaping. He said that it needed more education for middle and high school students so that they understand the consequences of vaping.
"What we do not know is if vaping itself could cause lung cancer, but I'm afraid it will happen," he said. "I do not think there is any evidence to suggest that vaping is in any way less toxic than smoking."
According to Szwerc, the long-term effects of vaping remain unresolved, but patients who have already admitted to vaping already suffer more often from shortness of breath and bronchitis that can lead to chronic interstitial lung disease.
"Steam can penetrate deeper into the lungs than tobacco smoke," he said. "You see the volume of smoke coming out of these devices."
Szwerc stated that he did not wish to see another generation end up being cared for for lung cancer and other diseases related to adulthood, as she had begun to vape at a young age .
"Your body was not designed to put this product in the lungs, there is no way to think that it is safe," he said.
Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, a non-profit organization for sound regulation of vaping, said he believed recent illnesses were only related to THC cartridges on the black market and not to Nicotine tubes used correctly.
"We think it's very important that health officials come forward and say what's really going on," he said.
Conley has expressed concern that recent coverage of these diseases is causing panic among people who sweat and cause some people to start smoking cigarettes again.
"The fear of the unknown strikes people," he said. "When they hear a general warning about vaping, they do not think about the THC pen, they think about Juul."
Conley recommends that people who buy their products online or on the black market think twice before buying.
Dr. Tariq Cheema, a pulmonologist at Allegheny Health Network, said the hospital system has seen an increase in asthma among teenagers in vaping. He added that they also had a rare case of pneumonia that would be caused by a vaping.
"I really hope to see more and more," he said.
Cheema said he suspected that the recent increase in the number of diseases was related to black market sales, but that it was not possible to know for sure.
He said he saw an increase in the number of smoking patients who planned to switch to smoking to quit smoking.
"All smokers who come to my office have the same question:" Can I try e-cigarettes or vaping, "Cheema said. "My biggest concern is because it's not approved by the FDA, (we) have no idea of the chemicals that are introduced into these devices."
The FDA said Friday that it was investigating all incidents "as quickly as possible".
In a statement posted on his website, the federal agency said that she was "determined to take the measures that dictate, a clearer picture of the facts appearing".
"Although the cases seem similar, it is unclear whether these cases have a common cause or different diseases with similar presentations, which is why our ongoing investigation is essential," said Dr Norman Sharpless, Commissioner Acting FDA.
Emily Balser is a writer for Tribune-Review. You can contact Emily at 724-226-4680, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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