E-cigarette Product Use, or Vaping, Among Persons with Associated Lung Injury — Illinois and Wisconsin, April–September 2019

• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6839e2
• Publication Date: 2019-09-27T16:49:59Z
• Authors: Isaac Ghinai; Ian W. Pray; Livia Navon; Kevin O’Laughlin; Lori Saathoff-Huber; Brooke Hoots; Anne Kimball; Mark W. Tenforde; Jennifer R. Chevi...; Mark Layer; Ngozi Ezike; Jonathan Meiman; Jennifer E. Layden
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; Vaping; Lung Injury; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Disease Outbreaks; 3. Good health; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Wisconsin; Humans; Female; Full Report; Dronabinol; Illinois; 0305 other medical science

In July 2019, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services launched a coordinated epidemiologic investigation after receiving reports of several cases of lung injury in previously healthy persons who reported electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, or vaping (1). This report describes features of e-cigarette product use by patients in Illinois and Wisconsin. Detailed patient interviews were conducted by telephone, in person, or via the Internet with 86 (68%) of 127 patients. Overall, 75 (87%) of 86 interviewed patients reported using e-cigarette products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and 61 (71%) reported using nicotine-containing products. Numerous products and brand names were identified by patients. Nearly all (96%) THC-containing products reported were packaged, prefilled cartridges, and 89% were primarily acquired from informal sources (e.g., friends, family members, illicit dealers, or off the street). In contrast, 77% of nicotine-containing products were sold as prefilled cartridges, and 83% were obtained from commercial vendors. The precise source of this outbreak is currently unknown (2); however, the predominant use of prefilled THC-containing cartridges among patients with lung injury associated with e-cigarette use suggests that they play an important role. While this investigation is ongoing, CDC recommends that persons consider refraining from using e-cigarette, or vaping, products, particularly those containing THC. Given the diversity of products reported and frequency of patients using both THC- and nicotine-containing e-cigarette products, additional methods such as product testing and traceback could help identify the specific cause of this outbreak.