Cases of vaping-related lung illness exceed 1K; deaths reach 18

Anicka Slachta | | Cardiovascular Business | Vascular & Endovascular

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doubled down on its warnings about vaping products Oct. 3 after new numbers revealed more than 1,000 reports of vaping-related lung illness and 18 fatalities in recent weeks.

NPR reported Thursday that the case count had reached 1,080, with this week’s number of reports representing an increase of 275 cases over last week. Eighteen deaths related to vaping—primarily vaping THC products—have been confirmed across 15 states, with other deaths under investigation.

“We’re worried that there are plenty of risky products still out there,” Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director for the CDC, said, per NPR. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve intensified our warnings.”

CDC Intensifies Warnings About Vaping Illness As Cases Top 1,000

The CDC is now warning people against using any vaping products, especially ones containing THC. Investigators in New York previously identified vitamin E acetate as a potential culprit behind the epidemic, but Schuchat said it’s “pretty much impossible” to tell what’s in a vaping cartridge, especially if it’s purchased off the street or through social circles.

An investigation by the FDA is underway, but the agency said it hasn’t found any one product or compound that can be linked to all cases of vaping-related illness. Schuchat said the CDC continues to receive new reports, suggesting the crisis hasn’t peaked.

Read more below:

""
Anicka Slachta

After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.

Related Content

Angiographic catheters recalled due to safety risk
FDA clears blood clot removal system for treating pulmonary embolism
Tiny clot-busting robots could transform care for stroke and heart attack patients
New-look peripheral stent with expandable spikes receives FDA’s de novo classification
Terumo Interventional Systems launches dual-layer micromesh carotid stent after FDA approval
How anticoagulants may impact a patient’s risk of gastrointestinal bleeding after TAVR

Around the web

Health Exec
Tom Price: Medical residency slots need to expand to combat physician shortages

Tom Price, MD, former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), said one way to address the growing shortage of physicians is to expand medical resident positions, but these are tied to Medicare spending so alternative means may be needed.

Health Imaging
Tariffs will have a significant impact on the nuclear imaging supply chain in the US

"Domestic radiopharmaceutical suppliers, who receive isotopes from abroad, would be impacted by price changes and uncertainty caused by additional tariffs,” SNMMI President Cathy Cutler, PhD, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce this week.

Radiology Business
U.S. iodine contrast supply may not be subject to proposed 25% tariffs

If President Trump initiates a 25% tariff against pharmaceuticals imported from Ireland, it might impact the price for X-ray iodine contrast agents in the U.S. depending what rules are put in place.