Cases have been reported in at least 15 states from coast to coast but mostly in the Midwest.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedWednesday that there are 149 possible cases of severe lung disease linked to vaping in 15 states: California
Cases have been reported in at least 15 states from coast to coast but mostly in the Midwest.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedWednesday that there are 149 possible cases of severe lung disease linked to vaping in 15 states: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
The only thing linking the cases is that the patients all reported using vaping products that contain either nicotine or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. In addition to the cases reported by the CDC, NBC News reached out to state health departments and physicians nationwide, and found cases in Ohio, Virginia and Tennessee.
"One patient came in with full respiratory collapse and essentially had to be on life support," said Dr. Jacob Kaslow, a pediatric pulmonary fellow at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Kaslow told NBC News that his hospital has treated four cases of vaping-related respiratory illness over the past six months. Tracking the cases has been tricky, as patients tend to have a variety of symptoms, including severe pneumonia and coughing up blood.
"We’re only discovering this now because we’re asking, 'is there any history of vaping or electronic cigarette use?'" said Kaslow.
No deaths have been reported. But some patients have developed severe, progressive lu