Vaping-related lung injuries have killed 57 people and left 2,602 hospitalized, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While the CDC believes cases peaked in September, the case counts continue to grow. Deaths have occurred in 27 states, and hospitalizations have occurred in all 50.
About 67% of patients were male, 75% were white and the median age was 24 years, as of the CDC’s most recent analysis on Dec. 3. About 80% of hospitalized patients used a vaping product containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), most commonly Dank Vapes.
The CDC has found a link between the lung injuries and vitamin E acetate, which sometimes is used as a diluent in THC vaping products, although officials are not ruling out other possible causes.
Patients have complained of difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and/or chest pain. Some also experienced diarrhea, vomiting, fever and fatigue.
The CDC encourages clinicians to consider vaping-related illnesses in patients with lung disease, collect detailed information on the products patients were using and report suspected cases to their state health department.
