Author Interviews, JAMA, Johns Hopkins, Tobacco Research / 10.09.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Funmi (Abiru) Obisesan, MD, MPH Postdoctoral Fellow Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Postdoctoral Fellow Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: E-cigarettes are conceived by many individuals to be less harmful than combustible cigarettes, resulting in their use among young individuals and other vulnerable subpopulations. The recent outbreak of EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injuries) which was directly associated with e-cigarette use, and the rapidly evolving e-cigarette market, as well as regulations concerning them necessitates the need for up-to-date analyses of e-cigarette use trends.  (more…)
Author Interviews, CDC, NEJM, Pulmonary Disease / 23.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Angela K. Werner, PhD, MPH Environmental Public Health Tracking Program National Center for Environmental Health CDC MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In August 2019, emergency department (ED) visits related to e-cigarette, or vaping, product-associated lung injury (EVALI) increased sharply, followed by a peak in September. This was followed by a gradual but persistent decline in the number of cases. As of February 18, 2020 (CDC’s latest and final published update), there were a total of 2,807 hospitalized EVALI cases or deaths reported to CDC from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). Sixty-eight deaths were confirmed in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Although clinical presentations and outcomes of EVALI patients have been reported, data on patients who died are more limited. This article fills a gap by reporting on a national study assessing detailed demographic, substance use, and clinical characteristics of EVALI patients who have died, and comparing them to the characteristics of EVALI patients who survived. (more…)