What Happened?
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Friday, Aug. 23, that a patient who contracted a severe lung disease after vaping has died — marking the first death possibly linked to vaping in the U.S., according to CBS News.
NBC News reported Aug. 23 that the department has not released any information about the patient who died except that the person was an adult.
The report of the patient’s death comes amid an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control into more than 193 cases of severe lung disease in 22 states that could be linked to the use of vaping products, according to NBC News.
NBC News reported that the cases were all identified between June 28 and Aug. 20, and patients range in age from 17 to 38.
The Latest
While the CDC and state health providers continue to investigate the nearly 200 cases of severe pulmonary disease reported across the U.S., one doctor spoke with NBC News about a similar case report that he presented around four years ago.
Dr. John Parker, a professor of pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine at West Virginia University, told NBC News that, in 2015, he treated a 31-year-old patient that was experiencing “acute respiratory problems.”
The patient was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia, but Parker, along with other doctors, believed the disease was linked to the patient’s use of vaping products.
Parker told NBC News that, while they presented a case report on what the patient had experienced, they did not report the case to the CDC or other health centers during the time.
Parker said that he does not believe that the 2015 case was the first case of respiratory illness relating to the use of vaping devices that health providers in the state had seen.
In Context
According to CNN, Wisconsin has seen the most cases of the severe pulmonary disease possibly linked to vaping with 15 confirmed cases and 15 more under investigation. Illinois reported 10 confirmed cases and 12 more under investigation, and California is currently investigating 19 cases.
The New York State Department of Health issued statewide health advisory on Aug. 16 to bring awareness to the health providers in the state.
In a statement, the health department recommended that anyone using vaping products who has experienced any type of respiratory issues should stop using the product and consult with their healthcare provider.
According to CNN, many of the patients usually start to experience shortness of breath, fever, cough, vomiting, chest pain, dizziness and other related symptoms.
