A Case of E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use–Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) in a Previously Healthy Patient: Case Report and Literature Review

Excerpt

There is a rise in popularity of the use of e-cigarettes (vape pens), termed “vaping,” in which liquid is vaporized by a battery-powered heating device and then inhaled. In recent months, e-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI) has become prominent in both lay press and in social media with an associated rapid proliferation of scholarly and public health publications. Attention to this topic skyrocketed when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a health advisory on August 30, 2019, warning consumers against the danger of e-cigarettes and their association with “severe pulmonary disease”.¹ According to the CDC, as of January 7, 2020, over 2,602 cases of EVALI have been reported from at least 49 states. Fifty-seven patients have died from EVALI as of the submission of this manuscript.² We present a case of EVALI in a previously healthy young woman for three purposes: to highlight to providers the importance of an accurate, thorough social history; to discuss the presentation of a patient with EVALI; and to describe the currently understood pathophysiology of this entity. …