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Abstract
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Introduction
Although considered to be by some as a safer alternative to smoking, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are associated with significant, even life-threatening, complications; for example, e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) especially in older patients with pre-exiting respiratory and cardiovascular comorbidities.1-3 We present an interesting case of a patient who was admitted with confusion, fever, cough and breathlessness with raised inflammatory markers and bilateral radiologic abnormalities on chest imaging.
Case presentation
A woman aged in her 40s presented with 1-week history of fever, cough, shortness of breath and confusion. She was normally fit and well with past medical history of asthma, anxiety and Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome. Her usual medications included salbutamol metered dose inhaler and sertraline. There was no history of recent travel, flu-like illness, use of recreational drugs or trauma. In the previous few months, she had started to vape an e-cigarette and she drank alcohol in moderation. On examination, she was alert but confused with no focal neurology and no signs of meningism. Chest auscultation revealed bilateral crackles. The rest of the examination was normal. Chest X-ray showed widespread, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, consisting of a mixture of ill-defined and nodular opacities...
Language: en |