E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease

Background. Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causing a pandemic worldwide in 2020. There are other noninfectious diseases that can present exactly as COVID-19, and the management and approach are completely different, hence the importance of...

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Main Authors: Jose A. Rodriguez, Alejandra A. Roa, Juan C. Lemos-Ramirez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Pulmonology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8821289
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author Jose A. Rodriguez
Alejandra A. Roa
Juan C. Lemos-Ramirez
author_facet Jose A. Rodriguez
Alejandra A. Roa
Juan C. Lemos-Ramirez
author_sort Jose A. Rodriguez
collection DOAJ
description Background. Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causing a pandemic worldwide in 2020. There are other noninfectious diseases that can present exactly as COVID-19, and the management and approach are completely different, hence the importance of understanding and having a wide differential in patients presenting with similar characteristics. Case Report. A 23-year-old male, with a history of childhood asthma, presented to the Emergency Department in a hospital in south Florida in the USA with complaints of a 2-day duration of subjective fever, chills, dry cough, dyspnea, and myalgia. His vital signs were blood pressure 135/65 mmHg, temperature 39°C, pulse 134 bpm, respiratory rate 22 breaths per minute, and saturation of oxygen 96% in room air. Laboratory analysis was significant for white blood cells 15.3×103/μL, ALT 69 U/L, AST 66 U/L, ferritin 375.6 ng/mL, C-reactive protein 27.70 mg/dL, and procalcitonin 1.43 ng/mL. A respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) and a SARS-CoV-2 test were both negative. The patient was given empiric antibiotic treatment and hydroxychloroquine. Two more tests for SARS-CoV-2 were negative, and the patient reported that he smoked marijuana through an e-cigarette. The patient was started on high-dose steroids, and symptoms improved. Conclusion. COVID-19 is an emergent lung disease that is affecting the population worldwide; many other noninfectious diseases can mimic its presentations and laboratory characteristics; the importance of having a broad differential diagnosis especially in causing confusion during pandemic times is valuable in the management of patients with such presentations, such as EVALI, and glucocorticoids will be indicated in this circumstances.
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spelling doaj-art-e3800d7680a64ba5b1663de67fad152f2025-08-20T02:21:21ZengWileyCase Reports in Pulmonology2090-68462090-68542020-01-01202010.1155/2020/88212898821289E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 DiseaseJose A. Rodriguez0Alejandra A. Roa1Juan C. Lemos-Ramirez2Memorial Hospital West, Memorial Healthcare System, Pembroke Pines, FL, USAMemorial Hospital West, Memorial Healthcare System, Pembroke Pines, FL, USADivision of Infectious Disease, Memorial Regional Hospital, Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, FL, USABackground. Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causing a pandemic worldwide in 2020. There are other noninfectious diseases that can present exactly as COVID-19, and the management and approach are completely different, hence the importance of understanding and having a wide differential in patients presenting with similar characteristics. Case Report. A 23-year-old male, with a history of childhood asthma, presented to the Emergency Department in a hospital in south Florida in the USA with complaints of a 2-day duration of subjective fever, chills, dry cough, dyspnea, and myalgia. His vital signs were blood pressure 135/65 mmHg, temperature 39°C, pulse 134 bpm, respiratory rate 22 breaths per minute, and saturation of oxygen 96% in room air. Laboratory analysis was significant for white blood cells 15.3×103/μL, ALT 69 U/L, AST 66 U/L, ferritin 375.6 ng/mL, C-reactive protein 27.70 mg/dL, and procalcitonin 1.43 ng/mL. A respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) and a SARS-CoV-2 test were both negative. The patient was given empiric antibiotic treatment and hydroxychloroquine. Two more tests for SARS-CoV-2 were negative, and the patient reported that he smoked marijuana through an e-cigarette. The patient was started on high-dose steroids, and symptoms improved. Conclusion. COVID-19 is an emergent lung disease that is affecting the population worldwide; many other noninfectious diseases can mimic its presentations and laboratory characteristics; the importance of having a broad differential diagnosis especially in causing confusion during pandemic times is valuable in the management of patients with such presentations, such as EVALI, and glucocorticoids will be indicated in this circumstances.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8821289
spellingShingle Jose A. Rodriguez
Alejandra A. Roa
Juan C. Lemos-Ramirez
E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
Case Reports in Pulmonology
title E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
title_full E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
title_fullStr E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
title_full_unstemmed E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
title_short E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Mimicking COVID-19 Disease
title_sort e cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury evali mimicking covid 19 disease
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8821289
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