IDPH warns of respiratory illness, lung injury caused by vaping

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health are concerned over suspected cases of severe lung injury among patients with a history of vaping.

Several other states, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, also share in the concern.

Vaping refers to the increasingly popular practice of inhaling vapor from an e-cigarette device, which works by heating a liquid that can contain nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs.

The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown. Reported symptoms include cough, fatigue, dizziness, headache, vomiting and diarrhea, chest pain, and worsening difficulty breathing, sometimes requiring intensive care. Many cases have initially presented with a history of cough that does not respond to treatment and have no signs of an infectious cause for their symptoms. Over the course of several days to a week, symptoms progress and cases present with worsening respiratory distress, sometimes requiring ventilator support. No specific products have been identified yet.

In the meantime, local public health departments will continue to advocate that youth should not use vaping products and e-cigarettes, and adults should be informed about the dangers of such products. They are also asking healthcare providers to warn patients who present with respiratory symptoms about vaping and e-cigarette use.

Lastly, IDPH officials are asking healthcare providers, when treating patients with respiratory symptoms who report a history of vaping, consider consultation with a pulmonologist and conducting a thorough infectious disease evaluation and reporting suspected cases to IDPH at 800-362-2736.