what is vape acquisition syndrome

VAS, or Vape Acquisition Syndrome is a malady that many of us suffer from, that leads us to accumulate large numbers of vapes for our own use and that of our guests and family members.

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What is vaping illness (evali)?

May 04, 2017 · bVAS - backup Vape Acquisition Syndrome bVAS is a scary syndrome, since not only does the afflicted patient have a burning desire for new vapes, but they now must be in the same league as the cloud Stu Maconheiro Staff member May 31, 2013 #6 Since getting a Cloud to backup my Cloud a while ago, I've been having a harder time justifying bVAS.

What is vaping-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI)?

Though vapes are often touted as a healthier alternative to smoking, a respiratory illness called vaping illness has started affecting many who use them. Its symptoms vary, but can include ...

What is the CDC’s report on vaping-associated impairment (Vapi)?

Apr 19, 2022 · The more you vape, the more your brain and body get used to having nicotine, and the harder it is to go without it. When you go without vaping, the nicotine level in your bloodstream drops, which may cause unpleasant feelings, physical symptoms, and strong urges to vape. This is nicotine addiction.

Why is vaping so addictive?

Exposure to vaping is associated with a growing list of respiratory syndromes including an acute progressive form with life-threatening hypoxemic respiratory failure and pathologic changes of lung injury termed vaping-associated respiratory distress syndrome. Data Sources:

What is VAPI diagnosis?

As VAPI was, as of October 2019, a diagnosis of exclusion, a variety of respiratory diseases must be ruled out before a diagnosis of VAPI can be made. The differential diagnosis should include more common diagnostic possibilities, such as community-acquired pneumonia, as well as do-not-miss diagnoses, such as pulmonary embolism. Other commonly documented hospital diagnoses for cases of severe pulmonary disease associated with e-cigarette use have included acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, acute hypoxic respiratory failure, and pneumonitis. As of September 2019, distinctions were still being made between processes occurring in association with vaping or the use of nicotine-containing liquids and those considered as alternative diagnoses to VAPI. These processes include the following:

When was the first vaping case reported?

On September 28, 2019, the first case of vaping-associated pulmonary injury was identified in Canada. A number of other probable cases have been reported in British Columbia and New Brunswick as of October 2019.

What is vaping in a cigarette?

Vaping refers to the practice of inhaling an aerosol from an electronic cigarette device, which works by heating a liquid that can contain various substances, including nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), flavoring, and additives (e.g. glycerin (sold as vegetable glycerine (VG)), propylene glycol (PG)).

How long after VAPI do you have to do a CXR?

Due to reports of relapse during corticosteroid tapers after hospitalization, the CDC recommends scheduling a follow-up visit no later than one to two weeks after discharge from inpatient hospital treatment for VAPI, with considerations for performing pulse-oximetry testing and repeat CXR. In one to two months, healthcare providers should consider additional follow-up testing, including spirometry, diffusion capacity testing, and another repeat CXR. In patients with persistent hypoxemia (O 2 saturation <95%) requiring home oxygen at discharge, consider ongoing pulmonary follow-up. In patients treated with high-dose corticosteroids, consider endocrinology follow-up to monitor adrenal function.

How many cases of corticosteroids were reported nationally?

Among 140 cases reported nationally to the CDC that received corticosteroids, 82% of patients improved. In patients with more severe illness, a more aggressive empiric therapy with corticosteroids as well as antimicrobial and antiviral therapy may be warranted.

How long does it take for respiratory failure to be diagnosed after antibiotics?

Many of the reported cases involved worsening respiratory failure within 48 hours of admission, following the administration of empiric antibiotic therapy.

How long does it take for gastrointestinal symptoms to show up in hospital?

In some patients, gastrointestinal symptoms can precede respiratory symptoms. Individuals typically present for care within a few days to weeks of symptom onset. At the time of hospital presentation, the individual is often hypoxic and meets systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, including fever.

What happens when you quit vaping?

When you quit vaping, your body and brain must get used to going without nicotine. This is called nicotine withdrawal. The side effects of nicotine withdrawal can be uncomfortable and can trigger cravings for nicotine. Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include: Feeling irritable, restless, or jittery. Having headaches.

How to stop cravings after quitting vapes?

Keep a stash of healthy snacks in your backpack or locker. Crunchy snacks like carrots or raw nuts can also help combat cravings by keeping your hands and mouth busy . Get support from friends and family.

How to get rid of a symlink?

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water can help ease uncomfortable nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, sweating, hunger, and fatigue. Drinking water may also help reduce cravings. Get your ZZZs.

Can you quit smoking besides vaping?

Even if you already started quitting, it’s not too late. If you smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products besides vapes, now is a good time to quit those too. These products contain nicotine and are harmful to your health.

Is Juul a nicotine addiction?

Nicotine Addiction. Nicotine is in most vapes, including JUUL. Nicotine is very addictive. The more you vape, the more your brain and body get used to having nicotine, and the harder it is to go without it. When you go without vaping, the nicotine level in your bloodstream drops, which may cause unpleasant feelings, physical symptoms, ...

Can you be addicted to vaping?

This is nicotine addiction. If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, you may be addicted to vaping.

Can you go without vaping?

The good news is that the uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal will fade over time if you stay away from vapes. The longer you go without vaping, the more your body can get used to being nicotine-free. Over time, you will gain more confidence in your ability to stay vape-free and regain control of your body and mind.

What is the spectrum of vaping?

The reported spectrum of vaping-associated respiratory diseases allows clinical classification of cases into groups with distinct evaluation, management, and recommendations for prevention and follow-up. Clinical stratification also identifies a small proportion of vaping-exposed patients who are at risk for progression to hypoxemic respiratory failure and an acute respiratory distress syndrome –like illness.

What is group 1 vaping?

Group 1 (asymptomatic) patients who affirm a desire to quit vaping should be offered addiction medicine support for substance-directed treatment. There is evidence that patients who have addiction to THC or nicotine-containing products can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy, contingency management, motivational enhancement therapy, and multidimensional family therapy ( 4, 23, 24 ).

What are the toxins produced by heating?

Different toxins generated by the heating of the mix of flavorants, aldehyde or alcohol-based solvents, tocopherols, hydrocarbon-based oils, and adulterants delivered at doses that vary by alternative vaping techniques are expected to produce a spectrum of respiratory tissue responses.

What are the criteria for e-cigarette use?

The CDC has proposed the following four required criterion for public health reporting of confirmed e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) ( 4) cases ( 9 ): 1) Using an e-cigarette (vaping) or dabbing during the 90 days before symptom onset; 2) having a pulmonary infiltrate, such as opacities on plain film chest radiograph or ground-glass opacities on chest CT; 3) the absence of clinical evidence of a pulmonary infection on initial work-up: Minimum criteria include negative respiratory viral panel, influenza polymerase chain reaction, or rapid test if local epidemiology supports testing. All other clinically indicated respiratory infectious disease testing (e.g., urine antigen for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella, sputum culture if productive cough, bronchoalveolar lavage culture when indicated, blood cultures, HIV–related opportunistic respiratory infections when appropriate) must be negative; and 4) no medical record evidence of alternative plausible diagnoses (e.g., cardiac, rheumatologic, or neoplastic process).

What is spirometry for shortness of breath?

Spirometry is indicated for those with severe, persistent, or progressive shortness of breath. Group 2 patients should be encouraged to promptly report progression of their symptoms and should be followed to resolution of their symptoms and radiographic abnormalities.

What is the composition of a solution that was vaporized?

The composition of the solution (s) that were vaporized should be determined including the medium chain triglyceride, glycol-, or glycerine-based streaming agents, lecithin, vitamin E, or terpene-based solvent, the active agent, and any adulterants that were applied to herbal ingredients.

Does vaping cause nausea?

Because vaping-related toxins often cause coincident gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, their occurrence near the time of respiratory symptoms favors attribution to vaping. Case clustering around a common vape juice is a strong inclusionary factor.

How many deaths from vaping in 2020?

By February 2020, the CDC had recorded over 2800 hospitalizations due to EVALI along with 68 deaths caused by the condition.

What are the ingredients in vape liquid?

Most vape liquids contain substances such as propylene glycol and glycerol as base ingredients that create the vapor. But they may also contain other compounds including artificial flavors, nicotine, THC, and cannabinoid (CBD) oil.

What is the best medicine for evali?

Antibiotics. These drugs may be given to the patient while diagnostic test results are being finalized as it’s difficult to distinguish EVALI from bacterial infections. Antivirals. Because EVALI causes similar symptoms to some viral infections, antivirals may be used, especially during influenza season.

What is the condition where a person's lungs become damaged from substances contained in e-cigarettes and

EVALI is a serious medical condition in which a person’s lungs become damaged from substances contained in e-cigarettes and vaping products. Vaping involves using a device known as an e-cigarette—but also called a vape pen, mod, or tank—to heat up a small amount of liquid, turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled.

What is the cause of evali?

Because of this and other studies, vitamin E acetate is considered the main cause of EVALI. Other chemicals found in nicotine- and THC-containing vaping products may also play a role in the condition.

What is the treatment for evali?

Treatments may include: Corticosteroids. A type of medication that reduces inflammation in the lungs and throughout the body. Supportive care.

What is the best way to check for opacities in the lungs?

During the physical exam, your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your lungs, check your heartrate, and measure your blood oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter. A chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan is usually necessary for diagnosis and will show hazy looking spots (called opacities) in the lungs.

Lungs and Inflammation 101

It’s important that we understand how our lungs work, Onugha says. Our lungs are filters: They take the air we breathe, filter it and deliver oxygen to the blood in exchange for CO2. “That’s why if you walk into a place high in smog, it filters the smog particles out so you can breathe in oxygen,” he says.

Vaping Sickness Symptoms and Lung Conditions

It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that inhaling unknown chemicals might do some damage to the lungs. “I tell patients very clearly that there is no way you can imagine vaping is good for you just looking at it,” the doctor tells MEL. “Taking all that smoke and putting it into your lungs, there is no way that’s good for you.”

Potential Causes of Vaping Sickness

There are too many variables in how much we vape and what we vape for medical professionals to pinpoint precisely what’s causing people’s lungs to malfunction, Onugha says. Two people might vape the same e-juice, but “one person might not get symptoms; the other might end up in the ICU on the ventilator.

Quinn Myers

Quinn Myers is a staff writer at MEL. He reports on internet culture, technology, health, masculinity and the communities that flourish within.

What is e-cigarette lung injury?

Eventually, researchers tied these cases to vaping. The illness is now called e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury(EVALI). Doctors and researchers are still working to learn more about this condition, including its exact causes and long-term effects.

How old are people with evali?

The average age of people with EVALI is 24 , and almost 4 out of 5 are younger than 35. Rachel Boykan, MD, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, says that might be because vaping products are most popular with younger people.

Is vaping acetate bad for you?

You may be more at risk if the product you’re vaping has vitamin E acetate. The CDC says it’s the common chemical found in the lungs of people who’ve gotten sick. Vitamin E acetate comes from vitamin E. It’s generally used to thicken liquids, particularly in e-cigarette or vaping products that have THC.

Overview

Vaping-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI) also known as vaping-associated lung injury (VALI) or e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (E/VALI), is an umbrella term, used to describe lung diseases associated with the use of vaping products that can be severe and life-threatening. Symptoms can initially mimic common pulmonary diagnoses, such as pneumonia, but sufferers typically do not respond to antibiotictherapy. Differential diagnoses have overlapping fe…

Signs and symptoms

Possible causes

Mechanism

Diagnosis

Treatment

Epidemiology

Footnotes