Aim: This preliminary pilot study aimed to explore a correlation between COVID-19 presentation with e-cigarette vapers in the Western Sydney region of Australia.
METHODS: Extracted data from questionnaires completed by 100 Australians residing in the Western Sydney region who were infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic from March 2020 to March 2022 were analyzed. Data collected included patient age, biological gender, years of vaping, if vaping began prior to COVID-19, weekly vaping frequency, the year that COVID-19 was contracted, and the category of COVID-19 symptoms. The symptoms are scaled into four categories for this study, from lowest severity to high severity based on the World Health Organization\'s classifications.
RESULTS: Vapers in Western Sydney Australia experienced higher severity COVID-19 presentations compared to non-vapers. Biological males were found to be more susceptible than biological females for experiencing the highest severity. Vapers with higher years of vaping had severe COVID-19 presentations compared to lesser years of vaping.
CONCLUSIONS: Among adults in Western Sydney Australia aged 18 years and above, the collected data showed a correlation between e-cigarette vapers reporting higher severity of COVID-19 presentations compared to non-vapers of the same demographic when they contracted COVID-19.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping have gained popularity in the last two to five years as an alternative way of consuming nicotine, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), particularly in the younger population. Vaping/e-cigarettes heat nicotine/THC and other chemical components to create the vapor to be inhaled, which increases the risk of mucosal infection and esophagitis. Although tobacco smoking has been extensively studied and known to affect the oral cavity and esophagus, the effect of vaping is yet to be well-studied. We report a case of odynophagia secondary to esophageal candidiasis, herpes simplex virus (HSV) esophagitis, and reflux esophagitis associated with vaping.

E-cigarettes have been known to cause varied poor health outcomes prior to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but after the impact of COVID-19, evidence came out that was, in some instances, not as expected regarding the severity of COVID-19 among e-cigarette users (vapers). A meta-analysis was performed on the available evidence to comprehensively find the effect of COVID-19 on existing or past e-cigarette users (vapers). The Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were used to perform this meta-analysis. PubMed was searched for observational studies that described outcomes after COVID-19 positivity from December 1, 2019, to December 2023. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords were used for searching the relevant studies highlighting the relationship between COVID-19 and e-cigarette users. Calculations for pooled prevalence, 95% confidence interval (95% CI), weights for current e-cigarette users and vapers, and outcomes (events) were made. To analyze the data, Review Manager V.5.4 was used. The I² statistic was used to assess statistical heterogeneity. The I² statistic of >50% was considered significant heterogeneity. The \"leave-one-out\" method was used for sensitivity analysis. Out of 3231 studies, four studies reported data on vaping and non-vaping status and composite outcomes, resulting in a sample size of 653 COVID-19-positive cases. The pooled prevalence of being COVID-19 positive, having symptoms, or visiting an emergency room was 7.78% (653/8392). COVID-19 patients with current vaping status had decreased odds of poor outcomes compared to non-smokers, with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 0.09 (95% CI 0.00-2.42; p>0.05) with heterogeneity between studies (I²=99%, p=0.15). Because of difficulties related to data collection and other factors, this meta-analysis was unable to conclusively establish the correlation between e-cigarette usage and severe COVID-19 outcomes such as hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, and fatality. Additional research using more detailed data is necessary to fully understand this correlation.

We present a rare case of vaping-induced spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a young healthy female. The patient presented to the emergency department with the chief complaint of acute onset chest pain. Imaging studies, chest X-ray, and computed tomography of the chest showed findings of pneumomediastinum. The patient was counseled on vaping cessation and discharged after 48 hours.

Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) typically manifests as unilateral vision loss from thrombosis and occlusion of the central retinal vein in patients with thrombophilic risk factors. Here we report a case of a 23-year-old male with three weeks of intermittent left-sided eye pressure and vision loss, who was found to have decreased visual acuity, retinal hemorrhages, and an impending CRVO in his left eye. Upon further evaluation, infectious disease and autoimmune labs were normal, but he had mildly increased right heart pressures and hypercoagulable changes in the right middle cerebral artery. He denied any personal or family history of clotting disorders but noted a four-year history of vaping. He was started on anticoagulation and discharged. Outpatient genetic testing for Factor V Leiden, protein C, protein S, and prothrombin G20210 was normal. His visual acuity returned to normal in the left eye and the retinal hemorrhages resolved. After the exclusion of organic causes, significant vaping history was considered the likely etiology of his hypercoagulable state and resultant CRVO. Vaping-related clotting phenomena may explain the etiology of an otherwise unexplained CRVO, but further investigation of the long-term health consequences of electronic cigarette use is still needed.

E-cigarette usage or vaping is becoming more popular as an alternative option to cigarette smoking. Vaping is associated with a wide degree of pulmonary injuries such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury is an acute or subacute respiratory illness that can be severe and life-threatening. Miliary tuberculosis, on the other hand, is a rare form of tuberculosis that results from hematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting multiple organs and systems. It is characterized by the presence of small, firm white nodules resembling millet seeds. We report a case of a young patient presenting to the hospital with features suggestive of miliary tuberculosis in the CT scan of the chest. Diagnosis of EVALI was reached after extensive diagnostic workup including tuberculosis revealed negative.

Vaping is the process of inhaling an aerosol produced by heating a liquid or wax containing substances such as nicotine, cannabinoids (e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol), flavoring, and additives (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol). The presence of air or gas in the mediastinum is pneumomediastinum. We present a rare case of vaping-induced spontaneous pneumomediastinum. A young 20-year-old female patient with a history of vaping and no past medical history presented with acute chest pain to an emergency room. The urine drug screen was positive for cannabinoids. Imaging studies - chest x-ray and computed tomography of the chest - showed pneumomediastinum. The patient was discharged after a day of observation and counseling to quit vaping.

In 2019 there was an outbreak of respiratory illnesses amongst people who used E-cigarettes. This phenomenon was labeled \'EVALI\' which stands for \"Electronic cigarette (E-cigarette), or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury\" and is a life-threatening illness of the lungs associated with E-cigarette use. It is believed to be caused by certain chemicals in E-cigarette cartridges, such as vitamin E acetate, but the exact pathophysiological mechanism is yet to be elucidated. Since 2019, the CDC has recorded over 2800 cases in the United States with over 60 deaths. Though many people recover from EVALI, the long-term implications on pulmonary health are unknown. The purpose of this retrospective study was to demonstrate the pulmonary function test (PFT) findings in a group of patients who recovered from a diagnosis of EVALI. We reviewed the cases of 23 adult patients who presented to two major academic hospitals of the Northwell Health System with confirmed EVALI and followed up in our outpatient clinics with PFTs. Most patients had significantly reduced diffusion capacity (DLCO) demonstrating loss of functioning alveolar units. Given that average follow-up was over a month after discharge, this leads us to believe that EVALI can lead to persistent lung damage. However, further follow-up would be necessary to identify the full impact of E-cigarette use on the pulmonary function.