Learning objectives
To illustrate the health effects of electronic cigarettes.
Background
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are devices that produces an aerosol by heating a liquid that contains a solvent (vegetable glycerin,
propylene glycol,
or a mixture),
flavorings,
and nicotine.
The evaporation of the liquid at the heating element is followed by rapid cooling to form an aerosol.
Epidemiologic data indicate that there is an increasing use of e-cigarettes by minors due to the robust marketing and advertising campaigns (1).
Imaging findings OR procedure details
E-cigarettes may be a useful tool for reducing traditional cigarette smoking.
For long-term smokers it is speculated that the use of e-cigarettes rather than tobacco cigarettes may be associated with better short-term and long-term health outcomes.
Two potential hazards related to e-cigarettes are acute toxic effects caused by accidental or intentional ingestion of e-cigarette liquids and physical injury caused by the ecigarette device (2).
E-cigarettes both contain and emit a number of potentially toxic substances:
-The two primary ingredients found in e-cigarettes (propylene glycol and...
Conclusion
Vaping may not be as safe as we assume.
As vaping is increasing in popularity,
there is a need for further investigation of the health effects of electronic cigarettes.
References
1.
Dinakar Ch et al.The Health Effects of Electronic Cigarettes.N Engl J Med.
2016 (29);375(26):2608-2609
2.
Sassano MF et al.
Evaluation of e-liquid toxicity using an open-source high-throughput screening assay. Plos Biol 2018;16(3):e2003904
3.
Ogunwale et al.
Aldehyde Detection in Electronic Cigarette Aerosols. ACS Omega 2017;2(3):1207-1214
4.Clapp PW et al.
Cinnamaldehyde in flavored e-cigarette liquids temporarily suppresses bronchial epithelial cell ciliary motility by dysregulation of mitochondrial function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2019;316(3):L470-L486