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More than 1300 cases of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette, or vaping) product use–associated lung injury (EVALI) have been reported, and now we have some insights into the etiology and natural history of EVALI. Criteria from the CDC include use of e-cigarettes within 90 days of symptom onset, opacities on chest imaging, no evidence of infection on a viral panel and by influenza testing, and no evidence of plausible alternative causes (NEJM JW Gen Med Oct 15 2019 and N Engl J Med 2019 Sep 6; [e-pub]).
Patients are most commonly young men who have used a mixture of nicotine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products. Symptoms include constitutional, respiratory, and gastrointestinal complaints; clinicians should ask about vaping in any patient wh…