Partnering to Address Electronic Cigarette-related Lung Conditions
Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices have risen in popularity in recent years, but additional research is needed into the safety of these products. Read on to see how nurse practitioners (NPs) are helping to lead the charge.
As of September 24, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had received reports of 805 cases of lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping devices. In addition, 12 deaths have been confirmed, but no consistent e-cigarette or vaping device, substance or additive has been identified in all cases. There is some evidence that THC may play a role in the outbreak, but investigation into these occurrences is ongoing.
In response, the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments and other clinical and public health partners are investigating this multistate outbreak.
In collaboration with the CDC and these partners, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) will be working to identify solutions to this timely issue. AANP’s Pulmonary and Sleep Specialty Practice Group (SPG) Co-chair Nanette Alexander DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FAANP, will be participating in discussions regarding the clinical and pathologic picture of this outbreak to help AANP and all NPs better understand and characterize the clinical syndrome and pathologic findings.
Additional Resources for You, Your Patients and Your Community
- Learn more about e-cigarette– or vaping-related lung injuries and illness, including the latest outbreak information, interim recommendations from the CDC and a map of reported cases.
- Review the CDC’s recommendations for clinicians, including the importance of obtaining a detailed patient history, testing vaping devices and products, evaluating patients for all possible causes of illness and potential treatment options.
- Download the E-cigarettes Shaped Like USB Flash Drives: Information for Parents, Educators and Health Care Providers infographic, which offers details on vaping devices, harmful ingredients found in these devices and tips to prevent or reduce young people’s use of these devices.
- Find general specimen collection and storage guidance, plus guidance for the pathologic evaluation of tissue specimens, as you care for patients who have or are suspected of having an e-cigarette– or vaping-related lung injury.
- Watch a webinar to review e-cigarette and vaping terminology, CDC recommendations for health care providers and clinical features reported among cases of vaping-related lung injury.
Contribute to the Discussion Today
All AANP members who are interested in this pressing issue, as well as any other pulmonary illnesses or conditions, are invited to join the Pulmonary and Sleep SPG! Together, members of this exclusive group are discussing new evidence-based interventions, practice updates and pulmonary resources at the online forum.
This is your venue for discussing clinical trends and challenging issues—including the current e-cigarette– or vaping-related pulmonary conditions. Stay on the front lines of health care for your patients by joining the discussion today!