Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has treated eight teenagers for serious lung damage in July, which physicians suspect is linked to vaping, according to CBS affiliate WDJT.
The patients were hospitalized with symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, coughing and weight loss. Some patients could not breathe on their own, and all of the teens reported vaping prior to their hospitalizations.
Most patients have responded well to steroid treatments and have been released without the need for supplemental oxygen. However, vaping's long-term health effects are unknown, and one teen was still hospitalized as of July 25, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is investigating the hospitalizations to try to find a common source for the illnesses.
"Given the severity of the illness reported and that fact that it's affecting children, this is a top priority," Jonathan Meiman, MD, the department's CMO, told the Journal Sentinel.
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