Severe lung injury in adolescent from vaping cannabis oil
An adolescent experienced severe acute lung injury from inhaling cannabis oil via a vape pen, adding to the growing body of case reports linking cannabis vaping to serious pulmonary harm.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The case documented severe acute lung injury secondary to inhalation of cannabis oil via a vape pen. The short-term and long-term effects of cannabis oil inhalation are not well understood. The authors proposed a new term to describe lung injury related to vaping.
Key Numbers
Single case report. Patient was an adolescent.
How They Did This
Single case report of an adolescent with vaping-associated lung injury from cannabis oil.
Why This Research Matters
Vaping is increasingly popular among adolescents, with a growing proportion using devices to inhale cannabis oil. Documenting these cases helps establish the scope of the problem.
The Bigger Picture
This case emerged during the broader EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) outbreak, raising awareness that cannabis oil vaping carries distinct respiratory risks.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report. Cannot establish incidence or prevalence. Specific contaminants (such as vitamin E acetate) may not have been fully characterized.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is the lung injury from the cannabis oil itself, from additives like vitamin E acetate, or from the heating device?
- ?What is the long-term prognosis for these patients?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Severe acute lung injury from cannabis oil vape pen
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report providing the lowest level of clinical evidence.
- Study Age:
- 2020 case report.
- Original Title:
- Vaping-associated lung injury caused by inhalation of cannabis oil.
- Published In:
- Pediatric pulmonology, 55(1), 226-228 (2020)
- Authors:
- Abeles, Michael, Popofsky, Stephanie, Wen, Andy, Valsamis, Christina, Webb, Angela, Halaby, Claudia, Pirzada, Melodi
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02367
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can vaping cannabis oil damage your lungs?
This case report documents severe acute lung injury in an adolescent from cannabis oil vaping, consistent with a growing number of similar reports during the EVALI outbreak.
Is vaping cannabis safer than smoking it?
This case shows that vaping cannabis oil can cause severe lung injury. The specific risks may differ from smoking, but vaping is not necessarily safer.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02367APA
Abeles, Michael; Popofsky, Stephanie; Wen, Andy; Valsamis, Christina; Webb, Angela; Halaby, Claudia; Pirzada, Melodi. (2020). Vaping-associated lung injury caused by inhalation of cannabis oil.. Pediatric pulmonology, 55(1), 226-228. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.24579
MLA
Abeles, Michael, et al. "Vaping-associated lung injury caused by inhalation of cannabis oil.." Pediatric pulmonology, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.24579
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Vaping-associated lung injury caused by inhalation of cannab..." RTHC-02367. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/abeles-2020-vapingassociated-lung-injury-caused
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.