US teen with vaping injuries undergoes double lung transplant

A United States teenager got a double-lung transplant done after being admitted to hospital for vaping-related injuries. The 17-year-old boy, who has been described by his family as a student-athlete who enjoyed sailing and video games, was first admitted on September 5 to Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit after experiencing symptoms similar to pneumonia.

Health fails

As the boy's health continued to deteriorate he was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Michigan on September 12, but a continued decline in the child's health prompted his transfer to Henry Ford which specializes in lung transplants and he was placed on the transplant list.

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Dr. Hassan Nemeh, surgical director of thoracic organ transplant at Henry Ford Hospital was part of the team of doctors that performed the surgery. Dr. Nemeh said, "What I saw in his lungs is nothing that I have ever seen before, and I have been doing transplants for 20 years."

He also stated that he saw inflammation, scarring, and dead tissue in both of the boy's lungs. While it has not been released what type of vape products the boy who received the double-lung transplant used, it is confirmed that the damage was done by e-cigarettes or vape products.

Harmful consequences

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury have sickened more than 2,000 people in the U.S. since March. Many of those who got sick said they used vape products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the chemical that causes the most of marijuana's psychoactive effects. Though the young patient was given a "very good prognosis," but he faces a long recovery.

Until more research into vaping products is done, the CDC recommends people to refrain from using e-cigarettes or vaping products, avoid buying e-cigarette from off the street and they also advise people not to modify or add any substance to e-cigarettes.

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