Case Presentation: Vaping-induced organ injuries are increasingly seen in the clinical setting, as the use of vaporizers to smoke tobacco and marijuana has risen almost 150% in the past several years [1]. Cardiotoxicity from vaporizer use has not been reported, and thus the incidence of this phenomenon is unknown. Regular assessment of cardiac function may be important in young adults with a vaping history in order to reduce morbidity.
Discussion: An 18-year-old female with a 6-year vaping history presented to the hospital for dyspnea, coughing, chest tightness, fever, and chills shortly after vaping. She was admitted to the ICU for hypoxemic respiratory failure. She was diagnosed with ARDS and her hospital course was complicated by splenic and renal infarcts. The patient underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram due to elevated BNP of 1927, which showed decreased systolic function in a global fashion, with an ejection fraction (EF) of 45%. There was no significant valvular disease. The patient was ultimately transferred to a different institution for further management of her multiple organ dysfunction. Transesophageal echocardiogram done at that institution approximately 1 week after transfer showed an improved EF of 60%.
Conclusions: The long-term effects of vaping such as compromised cardiac function, lung injuries, and infarcts [2], are becoming apparent with increased use of vaporizers. End organ effects of this trend are not known, and thus are often difficult to anticipate. This case illustrates the importance of evaluating each major organ system to decrease morbidity and mortality of the unknown sequelae of vaporizer use, especially in young adults.