According to the Mayo Clinic and as reported by Denise Grady of the New York Times, the lung damage seen in vaping illness patients resembles that of chemical burns. “All 17 of our cases show a pattern of injury in the lung that looks like a toxic chemical exposure, a toxic chemical fume exposure, or a chemical burn injury,” said Dr. Brandon T. Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic.
The CDC updated its information last Friday to include 805 lung injury cases. The same day, the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, announced a state-wide ban on flavored vape products. Multiple states have imposed bans until the CDC determines the cause(s) of the outbreak. Investigators are looking at potential causes including the vaping liquids, toxins in materials used to make vaping devices, and defects in the function of the vaporizers.
The CDC has released this case definition for “Lung Injury” for State and local health departments to use in reporting vaping disease or illness.
We will continue to monitor significant legal and health developments in this investigation.
Contact us here or email Andrew Ackley with any questions about vaping cases.