Lung damage from vaping resemble chemical burns

Last month we wrote about the fact that electronic cigarettes are the cause of a mysterious lung disease among adolescents and young people. Recently the doctors of the Mayo clinic in the US examined samples of lung tissue from 17 patients. All the samples looked as if people were exposed to toxic chemicals. Two patients whose samples were studied died. Experts say that the lung damage similar to chemical burns.

The number of deaths from Smoking of electronic cigarettes grows

What happened to smokers electronic cigarettes?

From the moment the number of victims of vaping was about a hundred people took a little more than a month. Today in the U.S. recorded more than 800 cases of lung disease in 46 States. 16 people died. Most of the victims were Smoking THC — the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, however, some patients report that smoked regular nicotine. The doctors are unable to pinpoint what exactly causes lung damage, and the amount of harmful substances was the cause of the disease. However, scientists still do not know whether the evaporated liquid is the cause of the disease or the toxins produced from materials that are used for the manufacture of devices for vaping.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of the major cannabinoids contained in the buds and leaves of cannabis.

Initially, experts assumed that light smokers were scored in pairs of oils, such as oil, THC, or acetate of vitamin E, which is sometimes used to dilute the oil with THC. However, the study of tissue samples signs of oil accumulation in the lungs was not detected. Instead, the scientists saw a lot of immune cells called macrophages, which had a frothy appearance, characteristic of chemical damage. In other words, light smokers had damage characteristic of chemical burns. Experts report that will require further study of the discovered chemical compounds to understand which of them harm the body.

Cases of death due to lung injury, recorded in the U.S.

Among the victims was 31-year-old woman who died despite intensive treatment with steroids and even the connection of the apparatus to supply oxygen directly into the bloodstream. It is known that the woman was Smoking electronic cigarettes, however, information about what substances she had consumed no. Another victim was a 21-year-old man who reported the Smoking of nicotine for the past five years, but fell ill soon after adding in vaping marijuana.

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Fatal lung damage

According to Dr. Brandon Larsen, a surgeon at the Mayo clinic in Scottsdale, in all 17 cases, the observed pathology of the lungs, which looks like a burn from exposure to chemicals smoke. Larsen believes that the injuries look the same as in humans exposed to poisons such as mustard gas or chemical weapons that were used during the First world war.

The results of the study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and included samples obtained from 13 men and four women, whose age ranged from 19 to 67 years. About 70% of them reported Smoking marijuana or cannabis oil. Eleven people lived in Arizona, five in Minnesota and one in Florida. In these patients the observed tissue damage and death of cells of the mucosa of the respiratory tract and the lungs themselves.

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The picture shows samples of lung tissue of four patients. Two of them died

Scientists believe that not all patients can get well also at the moment to talk about what the lungs of those who managed to survive a full recovery. What will be the long-term consequences of the injuries is also not known. For decades, the doctors interviewed the patients about Smoking cigarettes, but only recently began to clarify what they smoke. Two of the cases included in the report of Mayo clinic, occurred before 2019. According to Dr. Larsen, the patients with similar symptoms had sought medical help before, but the reason for their illness was not identified.

Note that the e-cigarette manufacturers continue to assure the public that their products are safe. Such statements, against the background of numerous deaths, appear as the statements of the heads of tobacco companies in the past — allegedly cigarette Smoking does not harm health.


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