E-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury and the risks and benefits of a thorough infectious work-up

Abstract

As of February 2020, over 2800 cases of lung injury associated with vapes have been reported in all 50 states (Cullen et al., 2019) [1]. This case is about a 29-year-old female with a five-year history of vaping tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) who presented with symptoms consistent with e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injury (EVALI). This case report is unique because this patient clinically improved on a lower dose of corticosteroids compared to other reported cases of EVALI. Additionally, this case report highlights the importance and difficulty of excluding other disease processes prior to treating patients for EVALI, particularly during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic.

Keywords

• Tetrahydrocannabinol
• THC
• e-Cigarette, or vaping
• Product-use associated lung injury
• EVALI
• Vaping