[E-Cigarettes - Operating Principle, Ingredients, and Associated Acute Lung Injury]

Beginning in April of 2019, the US saw > 2,000 cases of hospitalized, often young, patients with severe acute lung injury, of which over 40 died, and the only existing connection between patients was their use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The acronym EVALI ("e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury") has since been established for the condition. This review article is intended to provide an overview of recent, mainly US literature on EVALI, including the case definition, epidemiology, clinical presentation, typical disease progression, as well as potential triggers. Ancillary to this, the review further provides a general overview of the basic function of e-cigarettes, the ingredients of the liquids used in these (e-liquids), as well as a brief description of the associated potential inhalation risks.