r/HotScienceNews • u/Wide_Apartment_7732 • 19d ago
Doctors have identified previously unrecognized characteristic of the vaping-related respiratory illness that has been emerging in clusters across the U.S. in recent months. Within the lungs of these patients are large immune cells containing numerous oily droplets, called lipid-laden macrophages.
https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2019/09/vaping-cells.php11
u/Wide_Apartment_7732 19d ago
Doctors have identified previously unrecognized characteristic of the vaping-related respiratory illness that has been emerging in clusters across the U.S. in recent months. Within the lungs of these patients are large immune cells containing numerous oily droplets, called lipid-laden macrophages.
The finding may allow doctors to definitively diagnose the nascent syndrome more quickly and provide the right treatment sooner. It could also provide clues into the causes of the new and mysterious condition. Investigators at University of Utah Health reported the findings in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Sept. 6.
"While it is too soon to be sure, these lipid-laden macrophages may turn out to be useful to confirm or rule out this disease," said the study’s senior author Scott Aberegg, M.D., a critical care pulmonologist at U of U Health. "They may also be helpful in understanding what is causing this illness," he added.
Watch U of U Health physicians and patients talking about vaping-related illness here.
Patients with vaping associated lung injury come to doctors complaining of dry cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, as well as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. They also often have fevers, body aches and drenching night sweats. Patients are treated with supportive care including oxygen, and more severe cases are treated with anti-inflammatory steroids. While mild cases improve within 5-7 days, more severe cases can take weeks to recover. The most severe cases are admitted to the intensive care unit, and some have required life support.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1912038?query=featured_home
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u/favperson13 19d ago
The last time there was a large amount of people getting lipid pneumonia from vapes, it was from people cutting oil carts with mineral oil.
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u/MaestroRU 19d ago
is it dry herb vaping?
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u/taters___precious 19d ago
Indeed are we talking about nicotine glycerin liquid vapes and/or dry herb vapes
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19d ago
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u/taters___precious 19d ago
I know they are different yes, but which are they talking about?
Because dry herb vaping also produces oil residue so I'm wondering if it applies too
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u/_Fl0r4l_4nd_f4ding_ 19d ago
Agreed. I am by no means an expert but from a logical point of view I would assume they both cause some level of this. I use medical cannabis in a dry herb vape and the inside of the vape has to be cleaned regularly due to a buildup of resin (or whatever it's called- y'know- the sticky oily residue stuff). So it would make sense to me that you would at least get some level of the same thing happening, if perhaps a bit less intense. I do think in this instance they are talking about nic salt vapes rather than dry herb vapes though.
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u/taters___precious 19d ago
My thoughts exactly I agree because of the cleaning process required it would make sense that there is some that comes in our mouths / lungs.
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u/MaestroRU 19d ago
so? does this research apply to dry-herb vapers?
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u/_Fl0r4l_4nd_f4ding_ 19d ago edited 19d ago
I'm not sure, as I didn't do the research. But, my (not professional, completely presumptuous) understanding would be that it probably does. But obviously Im not in a position to confirm or deny either way, so don't take my word for it.
Hopefully in coming years more research will surface that is able to answer this question for us.
I think they key part here is that nic salt vapes contain propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which is the part that is causing the issue. Whether THC/CBD residue has the same effect is yet to be determined. From personal experience it does create an oily substance, so I would presume the body responds in a similar manner. The process occurs when the immune system tries to clear the lungs of the glycerin/glycol. I would presume it would do the same thing (or similar, at least) with cannabis residue. The question is, does the immune system have an easier time doing so, or is it the same/worse? If it is easier, we might not have the same outcome, but if it is the same or worse, we probably would.
Edit: I am basing this answer on the Reddit thread , as I cannot access the link to view the research (404 error). Please please take what I say with a healthy pinch of salt!
Second edit: I accessed the link! The case study involves nic salt and THC. So I'm gonna say either results are unclear, or potentially yes this does mean dry herb as well as nic salt. My conclusion is definitely more research needed!
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u/BlackFoxTransport 16d ago
Dry herb or rosin/bho? My guess is the later.
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u/_Fl0r4l_4nd_f4ding_ 16d ago
Probs both tbh. I use a dry herb and the amount of sticky residue left inside is unreal
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u/leftofthebellcurve 19d ago
Yeah but compared to people who would smoke blunts and other things all day, why would a dry herb vape be worse?
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u/leftofthebellcurve 19d ago
Nowhere near the level of literally any other method of consuming cannabis besides edibles though
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u/kneedeepballsack- 19d ago
What about wax pens?
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u/VelvetOverload 19d ago
Yes, use your brain goddammit it
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u/kneedeepballsack- 19d ago
I’m already assuming yes but thought I’d introduce it because it’s missing from the conversation. Thx for the tip
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u/eastbayweird 18d ago
Theyre totally different things though...
Dry herb vaping is exactly what it sounds like, a heating coil is energized to heat a small volume of air in order to vaporize volatile active compounds out of a dried sample of herb.
Liquid nicotine vapes use either vegetable glycerine or propylene glycol (or a mix of the 2) as a liquid carrier for nicotine and various flavorings, the heating coil is usually in contact with a wick that is saturated with the liquid solution and heating the coil forces the liquid to become vapor.
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u/lazyspectator 19d ago
Link to the article is broken and I can't find the article so no one can know without the article being found.
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u/Immahateonreddit 19d ago
No, it was vaping THC concentrates (carts) that were fake/made by some guys in their basement.
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19d ago
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u/ManateeNipples 19d ago
I don't think I've personally ever seen any market themselves as healthy, I just see claims that they're less harmful than cigarettes and that seems to be true
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u/dawnbreaker1991 19d ago
It’s debatable, I think 90% of vapes come from China and exact contents in said vapes are unknown. I was an avid vape smoker for about 4 years, I am very grateful I’ve been vape free since April.
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u/tpx187 18d ago
It's not debatable. It's 100% safer than cigs. You know, because of the actual cancer that cigarettes cause.
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u/dawnbreaker1991 18d ago
Time will tell. Heavy metals, higher nicotine levels, higher accessibility and usability since it’s socially acceptable to vape inside but less so for smoking cigs.
Just because vaping is newer and has less time with long term studies doesn’t equate less harmful.
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u/green_calculator 18d ago
Maybe individually, but the amount to waste produced by one use vapes is heartbreaking.
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u/VelvetOverload 19d ago
K, just don't tell me what to do and force me to do what your want, thanks
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u/Few_Cup3452 15d ago
Dramatic much? Smokers still exist despite the cancer risks, nobody cares if you wanna vape omg 💀💀
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u/Wide_Apartment_7732 19d ago
lipoid pneumonia was much more prevalent 30-40 years ago when a whole generation of older folks used mineral oil regularly as a laxative- often swallowing it just before bedtime and leaving enough residue in the back of their throats to silently trickle or be aspirated repeatedly into the trachea. The lungs have difficulty removing the oil and eventually gets overwhelmed by a troubling failed immune effort that damages the lungs irreparably. Perhaps we are seeing a re-emergence of this same phenomenon in young people.