The CDC on Nov. 19 issued an updated guidance for healthcare professionals on how to diagnose and treat patients with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury.
The agency noted that EVALI and the flu often have similar symptoms, which may make it difficult for clinicians to diagnose. The CDC is urging providers to ask patients with respiratory illness about any recent e-cigarette or vaping use. They should also evaluate whether patients require hospital admission and should consider the use of antimicrobials and corticosteroids as treatments.
As of Nov. 14, the CDC has identified 2,172 EVALI cases in 49 states. About 95 percent of cases required hospitalization, according to a separate CDC report released Nov. 19.
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