Vaping as risk factor for acute lung injury

Abstract

Introduction: electronic cigarettes were originally marketed as a safer alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes, although they still expose users to known toxins and carcinogens. While little data is available on the long-term effects of e-cigarette use, thousands of users have become seriously ill in an epidemic of acute lung injury associated with vaping and e-cigarette use in the United States since March 2019. the heterogeneity of the components of the liquid of vapers and casts doubts on the long-term safety of the use of these devices. Objective: describe the damage and pathology that arises from the exposure of electronic nicotine release devices. Materials and Methods: review of the literature on the harm caused by the exposure and use of electronic nicotine delivery devices such as vapers and electronic cigarettes. Results: acute lung injury associated with the use of vapers and electronic cigarettes is an acute respiratory disease that can be serious and life-threatening; In the largest series of 98 patients with acute lung injury associated with vaping or e-cigarette use, 76% of patients required supplemental oxygen, 22% required noninvasive ventilation, and 26% required intubation and mechanical ventilation. As of February 18, 2021, more than 2,800 patients had been hospitalized for vaping-associated acute lung injury in the United States, and among them, 68 had died. Conclusions: one of the key risk factors for lung injury is the use of vapers or electronic cigarettes. The exact pathogenesis is unknown, although some authors suggest an inflammatory mechanism and pulmonary reactivity, an optimal treatment has not been described either, the only thing that turned out to generate a growing progress towards improvement was the cessation of exposure to the substances that make up electronic liquids.