A Pennsylvania teen was diagnosed with “wet lung” (hypersensitivity pneumonitis), a respiratory inflammatory disease caused by inhaling toxins and synonymous with e-cigarette usage. The 18-year-old female, who remains unnamed, admits to using vaping products for a period of two to three weeks before her diagnosis.
She arrived at the emergency room with complaints of severe chest pain, coughing and issues breathing. She remained on breathing machines and tubes for five days. Other than minor asthmatic issues, which rarely required an inhaler, the teen has never had pulmonary issues previously.
Wet lung presented “a life-threatening health risk of e-cigarette use in an adolescent patient,” the teen’s doctors concluded. The doctors advise pediatricians to discuss the risks associated with vaping with their patients. According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, this is the first case reported in an adolescent as a risk of e-cigarette use.
