CDC Investigating Link Between E-Cigarettes and Severe Lung Disease

At least 15 states have identified more than 120 cases of severe lung disease and injury that could be linked to vaping, according to a CNN news report, which is based on a survey of state health departments. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is looking into severe pulmonary disease among people who use e-cigarettes in several states. The states with the most cases include Wisconsin, which has 15 confirmed cases and 15 more under investigation. Illinois has reported 10 confirmed cases and 12 more under investigation while California is looking into 19 such cases. Other states that have reported cases and/or are looking into cases include New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

Concerns Mounting Over Cases

The CDC said it has counted 94 possible cases of severe lung illness linked to vaping in 14 states from June 28 to Aug. 15. The agency has urged doctors to collect information and samples of what similar patients might have been vaping. Health officials say there are still many unanswered questions, but that the adverse health effects emerging from the current epidemic of youth e-cigarette use continue to increase.

They are urging healthcare providers and parents to be on the lookout for e-cigarette use as a cause for unexplained breathing problems and lung injury and disease. The Minnesota Department of Health reported that some patients were hospitalized for multiple weeks, in some cases ending up in the intensive care unit. Some of the symptoms experienced by these patients included fever, cough, breathing problems, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness and chest pain.

Doctors also say these types of illnesses can be challenging to diagnose because they can start out looking like some common infection before the more serious symptoms begin to surface. In Wisconsin especially, healthcare providers reported taking in young people who were otherwise normally healthy who were coming in with severe respiratory illnesses to the point of requiring a ventilator to breathe. Officials are still trying to determine the types of products the patients used. But, several states are reporting that patients had used both nicotine and marijuana vaping devices. In Wisconsin, all patients reported vaping prior to their hospitalization.

Harmful Effects of Vaping

Our product defect attorneys have seen the adverse health effects of e-cigarettes first-hand. We also represent a number of injured clients who have been burned and disfigured by exploding e-cigarettes and e-cigarette batteries. If you or a loved one has been injured or sickened by these defective products, an experienced product defect lawyer can help to secure maximum compensation for the injuries, damages and losses you have sustained.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/17/health/vaping-lung-disease-states/index.html