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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health is now investigating 21 reported cases of lung disease linked to vaping — more than four times the number of cases that were reported as of last week.
The cases include a mix of people who reported vaping with nicotine products and people who reported vaping with THC products, according to Rebecca Ward, a health educator with the department. Most of the patients are young adults, Ward said.
Last week, the state health department said it was “urgently” looking into five recent cases of lung disease in teenagers and young adults who had reported using a vape pen or other form of inhalational drug.
By Monday, the number of reported recent cases had jumped up to 21 — with some dating back as far as June — and officials anticipated that still more cases would be reported in the coming days and weeks.
“It is likely that the numbers are going to increase,” Ward said, adding, “We hope we don’t see a continuing trend of increased cases.”
The majority of the 21 cases involve young people, Ward said. But beyond that, there are few obvious similarities connecting the people affected. While all reported using a vape pen or similar instrument, some people said they vaped frequently, while others said they rarely vaped. The cases also included a mix of people using nicotine-based products, THC-based products, or some combination of both.
The wide range of reported experiences makes it difficult to pinpoint what exactly is at the root of the disease, Ward said. Now the Utah Department of Health, like a number of other state health departments across the U.S., is trying to figure out what’s causing the illness and whether there could be harmful substances in vape products that are contributing to it.
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5 people hospitalized with lung disease after vaping, Utah health officials report
Five people have recently been hospitalized in Utah with serious breathing problems after vaping or using other inhalation drugs, state health officials say.“We just don’t have enough information available to make a determination of what’s causing this lung illness,” Ward said.
Common symptoms among the 21 people include coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and some nausea and vomiting, according to the department. If a person who vapes experiences any of these symptoms and the symptoms “become very apparent,” Ward said, they should see a doctor.
All of the patients in the first five reported cases were hospitalized, and some were placed on ventilators to help them breathe. The patients who struggled to breathe all improved after treatment, state health officials said. It’s not yet known, however, whether they could experience long-term health effects.
The Utah Department of Health is urging medical providers to ask patients who exhibit similar symptoms whether they have a history of vaping, Ward said, and to pass relevant information along to the state health department or local health departments.
“The message really is that we’re urging all Utah residents to use caution when they are vaping,” Ward said.
Contributing: Kira Hoffelmeyer
