23 Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Reported In Maryland

MARYLAND — The state health secretary has ordered doctors to keep tabs on illnesses related to vaping amid what officials are calling an outbreak in the state. In addition, health officials are urging people to stop vaping if they can to avoid being injured while the investigation is ongoing.

Maryland Secretary of Health Robert R. Neall issued a new mandate for doctors after 23 lung-related illnesses have been linked to vaping in the state of Maryland as of Thursday, Oct. 3. The number only includes voluntarily-made reports.

Those who suffered injuries reported symptoms such as abdominal pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, chills, coughing, coughing up blood, diarrhea, fever, nausea, pain on breathing, weight loss and wheezing.

Due to the risk, Maryland's health officials are encouraging people to stop vaping for now.

"While the investigation continues, MDH recommends refraining from the use of all e-cigarette or vaping products," according to a statement from the Maryland Department of Health. "Cannabis or 'THC' vape-products that are obtained off the street may pose the greatest risk."

Those not off the street are also of concern.

"Most people who became sick used pre-filled vaping cartridges that, to their knowledge, were not tampered with," according to Maryland health officials. "Additionally, information about ingredients or extraction techniques listed on packaging may not be accurate. Ingredients that may be safe when eaten or applied to skin may not be safe when vaporized or inhaled."

Those vaping nicotine will also want to be cautious; Maryland health officials say about one of every 10 people identified as suffering a lung injury after vaping reported only using nicotine.

Across the country, more than 800 people have suffered lung injuries due to e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is conducting a multi-state investigation into the outbreak spanning 46 states and the Virgin Islands. About 16 percent of those with lung injuries nationally said they vaped using nicotine exclusively.

Symptoms reported include cough, chest pain, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, nausea, shortness of breath, vomiting or weight loss. Some people developed symptoms over a few days, while others said theirs came over the course of weeks.

There have been 18 deaths linked to e-cigarettes as of Oct. 1, according to federal health officials. The deaths were in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia. California, Kansas and Oregon had two deaths. The median age of those who died was 49.5 years and ranged from 27 to 71 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To monitor what health officials said was an outbreak of vaping-related lung injury, Maryland's health secretary ordered doctors around the state to provide information on cases that they suspect may be related to vaping if the injured person meets these criteria:

• A person used any e-cigarette (“vaping”) or dabbing device 90 days before symptoms began.
• "Pulmonary infiltrate, including opacities on plain film chest radiograph or ground-glass opacities on chest CT," the order states.
• Alternative diagnoses — like infectious, cardiac, rheumatologic or neoplastic process — can be ruled out.

Within one working day of diagnosing the issue, doctors must submit by phone or writing reports of suspected vaping-associated lung injury to the local health department in the Maryland jurisdiction where care is provided.

For more information, the Centers for Disease Control has a page on the national lung injury outbreak.

The Maryland Department of Health also has a page dedicated to the state outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries.