Many physicians are using steroids to treat patients with vaping-related illnesses, as health officials believe the sickness may stem from inflammation or injury caused by chemicals in the lungs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
When patients first started visiting hospitals with symptoms of coughing, chest pain, gastrointestinal issues and fever this summer, physicians commonly diagnosed them with pneumonia. Most scans revealed hazy, white areas in the lungs, but no infection. Antibiotics, the standard treatment for pneumonia, were unsuccessful at treating the illness.
Physicians from the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin were the first to link vaping to the condition. They began giving patients high doses of steroids, which reduced inflammation. Michael Meyer, MD, medical director of CHOW's pediatric intensive care unit, told ABC affiliate WISN 12 News that all 17 children treated for the vaping-related illness at the hospital were discharged.
The hospital plans to publish guidelines on how to care for patients with vaping-related illnesses.
The specific cause of the illnesses is still unknown. Investigators suspect a new chemical may have been recently introduced to vaping products, thereby triggering the outbreak.