The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, and other public health and clinical stakeholders are investigating a national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use‒associated lung injury (EVALI). As of October 22, 2019, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have reported 1,604 cases of EVALI to CDC, as well as 34 deaths in patients with EVALI in 24 states. This report updates data on patient characteristics and substances used in e-cigarette, or vaping, products, and describes characteristics of EVALI-associated deaths.
Among patients with available data on specific e-cigarette, or vaping, products used in the 3 months preceding symptom onset, patterns of reported use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products, nicotine-containing products, and use of both THC-containing products and nicotine-containing products were similar to previous reports. The median age of EVALI patients was 24 years, while the median age of EVALI patients who died was mid-40s. No single compound or ingredient used in e-cigarette, or vaping, products has been definitively identified as the cause of this outbreak.
At present, persons should not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC. In addition, because the specific compound or ingredient causing lung injury is not yet known, and while the investigation continues, persons should consider refraining from use of all e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
