The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) announced on Wednesday the first confirmed case of lung damage associated with the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping within Costa Rica.
The case revolves around a 16-year-old young man who had been secretly vaping daily for three months, unbeknownst to his parents. Consequently, his health deteriorated to the extent that he had to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit for an agonizing 29-day period, where he relied on assisted mechanical ventilation.
“The teenager reportedly concealed his daily vaping habit from his parents, and his condition necessitated an extended stay in the intensive care unit, relying on mechanical ventilation, or intubation, as it is commonly referred to,” stated the CCSS in a press release.
Dr. Marny Ramos, coordinator of the Smoking Cessation and Vaping clinics at the CCSS, emphasized that patients with EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) typically exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, rapid breathing (tachypnea), bloody phlegm, tachycardia, fever, chills, fatigue, as well as gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
According to the CCSS, lung lesions resulting from vaping or EVALI can manifest within days or weeks of commencing vaping and carry the potential for fatality.
Furthermore, the specialist underscored that the products used for vaping can induce pulmonary inflammation, whether they contain nicotine.
“Nicotine is one of the substances known for its stimulating properties and is responsible for addiction. However, there’s also formaldehyde, a carcinogenic compound that can be generated by vaporizers or tobacco heaters, alongside other chemicals. In the United States, as of November 2019, there were 2,290 reported cases of this syndrome, with 47 recorded fatalities,” she added.
Health experts have long cautioned about the risks of vaping, and this alarming case underscores the urgency of addressing the issue. Vape-associated lung disease first drew attention in the United States in July 2019 and has since become a global concern.
