More 20 people in the USA are hospitalized due to electronic cigarettes

22 people in the Midwest were hospitalized with severe breathing difficulties associated with electronic cigarettes, and doctors do not know the exact cause. Writes about it NBS News.

Фото: Depositphotos

It is not clear what patients (many of whom are young people) inhaled or which devices they used. Doctors also do not know where they purchased the device or special fluids.

Some patients said they used electronic cigarettes to inhale nicotine and THC (a psychoactive ingredient in marijuana).

"We know there are some commonalities in these cases, but we haven't been able to figure out exactly what product caused this, maybe a solvent or an oil," said Dr. Emily Chapman, chief medical officer at Children's Hospital of Minnesota.

Four cases were recorded in Minnesota, along with 12 in Wisconsin and six in Illinois.

Chapman said all four teenagers admitted to the Minnesota Children's Hospital arrived with what doctors initially considered a respiratory infection, such as pneumonia.

On the subject: San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban electronic cigarettes

But instead of recovering, they only felt worse during the treatment process.

“They had significant difficulty breathing and increased distress in their lungs,” Chapman said. “They end up in our intensive care unit, and in some cases they end up on a ventilator.”

Doctors in Illinois and Wisconsin have faced the same situations.

“All patients reported vaping prior to their hospitalization, but we do not know all of the products they used,” said Andrea Palm of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WGBA).

One such patient, 26-year-old Dylan Nelson from Burlington, Wisconsin, felt ill after taking a few puffs of the new vape cartridge. The next morning, he went to the hospital, and his symptoms gradually worsened throughout the day.

With the onset of darkness, his lungs filled with fluid, and doctors were forced to enter him into a medical coma. Since then, he recovered, was discharged from the hospital and is slowly recovering.

His brother Patrick DeGrave said that Nelson bought his vape cartridge on the street, and not in a reputable store.

"People will buy them in states where it's legal, and they'll bring them into states like Wisconsin where it's not legal," DeGrave said.

“You don't know if you're buying something from the person in charge or if you're buying it from someone who put something in there,” he said. “You literally don’t know what you’re breathing into your body.”

It is unclear whether there was any contamination of the devices or electronic fluids that led to the case groups, including Nelson. The brand he bought, called Dank Vapes, ceased operations several years ago, but packaging still appears frequently on products.

“Could it be that these particular patients were smoking something in common? It's definitely possible,” said Dr. Christy Sadreameli, a pediatric pulmonologist at Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Sadreameli also noted that e-cigarettes are harmful to teens' growing bodies—regardless of the source.

Teenage lungs are not fully developed, which could potentially make them more vulnerable to chemicals found in electronic cigarettes.

“The aerosol contains heavy metals and ultra-fine toxic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs,” Sadreameli said.

Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require e-cigarette manufacturers to list all their ingredients on product labels, scientists have resorted to taking devices to the lab to find out the ingredients.

On the subject: Electronic cigarettes poison people with toxic substances

One recent Yale study found chemicals called acetals in some Juul e-liquids. Researchers believe that these chemicals can especially irritate the lungs and cause damage by inhalation.

“These incidents raise serious concerns and highlight why the FDA must review e-cigarettes and determine their health effects before they are allowed on the market,” the statement said.

The Wisconsin Department of Health contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate investigations with other states.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• San Francisco became the first city in the USA, banned electronic cigarettes.

Read also on ForumDaily:

San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban electronic cigarettes

In New York, increased the legal age of smoking and buying cigarettes

24-year-old resident of Texas died because of an electronic cigarette that exploded in his hands

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