Electronic cigarette exposures reported to Texas poison centers

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) contain highly concentrated liquid nicotine solutions, posing potential health risks.
• Limited data exists on the public health impact of e-cig liquid nicotine exposures.
• Poison center data provides valuable insights into exposure incidents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the trends and characteristics of electronic cigarette (e-cig) liquid nicotine exposures reported to poison centers.
• To analyze demographic, clinical, and exposure-related factors associated with e-cig poisonings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of all e-cig exposures reported to Texas poison centers from 2009 to February 2014.
• Inclusion of exposures involving co-ingestions and those without a final medical outcome.
• Determination of exposure distributions by patient demographics and clinical presentation.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in e-cig exposures was observed, rising from 2 in 2009 to 123 in 2013.
• The majority of exposures (53%) occurred in children under 5 years old, with ingestion as the primary route (78%).
• Most exposures were unintentional (87%) and occurred at home (95%), with common symptoms including vomiting and nausea.

Conclusions:

• Electronic cigarette (e-cig) liquid nicotine exposures reported to poison centers are on the rise.
• Young children are the most vulnerable population, with ingestion being the most common exposure route.
• While exposures are increasing, reported cases typically do not result in severe medical outcomes.