CDC: Up to 4 Deaths Linked to Vaping

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH

To date, there have been three confirmed deaths associated with recent vaping, and a fourth is under investigation, CDC officials told reporters on Friday. The agency currently knows of 450 total possible cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping; these span 33 states.

At the media briefing, researchers discussed 53 cases that occurred in Wisconsin and Illinois from April 21 through August 20. Patients presented with respiratory, gastrointestinal, and constitutional (e.g., fever) symptoms. All reported e-cigarette use within the prior 90 days (and most within the prior week), and 80% of those interviewed said they had vaped tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with "Dank Vape" products commonly reported. All had abnormal findings on lung imaging. Nearly 60% required ICU admission. The cases are detailed in a New England Journal of Medicine report, linked below; the report also includes the CDC's current case definition for severe pulmonary disease tied to e-cigarette use.

Also at the briefing, a North Carolina physician reported on a cluster of five cases of lung injury tied to vaping THC products. Ultimately, all patients were diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia, which can occur when oils or lipid-containing substances enter the lungs. He urged clinicians to consider lipoid pneumonia in patients with respiratory failure and a vaping history. (See more details at the MMWR article linked below.)

CDC officials maintained that no single device or substance has been linked to all cases, and testing of samples is ongoing. They reiterated that, "most importantly," people should consider not vaping at this time, as this is the only way to avoid the related lung injury.

The New England Journal of Medicine also published on Friday two letters and an editorial with more information on this outbreak. All are linked below.