Many Middle and High School Students in Vietnam Hospitalized with Pneumonia After Using Vaping Devic

  Recently, hospitals in Vietnam have frequently admitted young patients, including a 16-year-old boy, whose pneumonia was linked to the use of vaping devices. Doctors warned that vaping is associated with multiple health problems, and cases of pneumonia among teenagers are increasing.

Quick report: According to a recent article by Vietnam’s Law and Life newspaper, a general hospital in Phu Tho Province has recently admitted several young patients, including middle school and high school students. These patients had no chronic illnesses but were hospitalized for pneumonia. Notably, most cases were linked to vaping device use.

Phu Tho General Hospital said one of the cases involved a 16-year-old boy who sought treatment for chest pain, coughing up phlegm, and difficulty breathing during exertion. During the medical history interview, the patient said he had recently vaped with friends. He believed vaping was lower-risk than traditional cigarettes, and he had been persuaded by friends to try it.

After blood tests, sputum tests, and a chest CT scan, the results showed extensive deep infection at the base of the right lung. Doctors initially determined that the source of the pneumonia was vaping.

Medical expert Bùi Mạnh Cường said: “The patient’s clinical course was very complicated. Although he is still young and has no underlying diseases, the lung lesions are very severe, no different from those of an elderly person. We have taken treatment measures to protect the patient’s lung function as much as possible.”

Doctors said that the vapor from vaping devices contains many different harmful substances, and long-term use can affect the body. Vaping devices heat e-liquid and then turn it into gas, which is then inhaled by the user. This may cause multiple health problems, including nausea, chest tightness, coughing, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate.