The Department of Internal Medicine and Poison Control - Intensive Care Center, Central Military Hospital 108 received a 20-year-old male patient in very serious condition: deep coma, respiratory failure and acute lung damage.
Immediately upon admission, the patient had to have endotracheal intubation and emergency ventilation. According to medical history, the patient had previously used e-cigarettes. The symptoms started with fatigue, gradually increasing shortness of breath, then drowsiness and quickly falling into a coma.
Thanks to intensive treatment, after 3 days, the patient was able to remove the endotracheal tube, regain consciousness and be discharged from the hospital. However, this is a strong warning about the potential risks of e-cigarettes.
Dr. Pham Dang Hai - Head of the Department of Internal Medicine and Poison Control - said that the solution in e-cigarettes not only contains nicotine but also many additives, flavorings and industrial solvents.
When heated, these components can create extremely toxic compounds, causing damage to multiple organs, especially the lungs, cardiovascular system and nervous system" - Dr. Hai emphasized.
According to experts, users may face: Acute nicotine poisoning; Acute lung damage related to vaping (EVALI); Heart rate disorders, hypertension; Nervous disorders, convulsions or coma...
More alarmingly, many vape products on the "black market" are also mixed with liquid drugs or psychotropic substances of unknown origin, increasing the risk of addiction and causing serious damage to the brain of young people.
Dr. Pham Dang Hai recommends that after using e-cigarettes, if symptoms such as nausea, frequent vomiting, headache, dizziness appear; Shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chest tightness; rapid heartbeat or arrhythmia; Confusion, convulsions, drowsiness or coma, go to the hospital immediately.
