Acute injury or illness related to the inhalation of vaping aerosols among children and adolescents across Canada: A cross-sectional survey of Canadian paediatricians

Sarah Zutrauen; Minh T Do; Lina Ghandour; Charlotte Moore-Hepburn; Suzanne Beno; Sarah A Richmond; Nicholas Chadi

doi:10.1093/pch/pxab062

Acute injury or illness related to the inhalation of vaping aerosols among children and adolescents across Canada: A cross-sectional survey of Canadian paediatricians

Paediatr Child Health. 2021 Aug 23;27(1):43-49. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxab062. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Sarah Zutrauen¹, Minh T Do^{1

2

3}, Lina Ghandour³, Charlotte Moore-Hepburn⁴, Suzanne Beno⁵, Sarah A Richmond², Nicholas Chadi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
² Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
³ Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Division of Paediatric Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Vaping prevalence rates have increased among Canadian youth. Evidence suggests that vaping poses signiﬁcant health risks to children and adolescents.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to investigate epidemiological characteristics of acute injury/illness cases due to the inhalation of vaping aerosols among children and adolescents across Canada and to explore factors contributing to severe cases.

Methods: Data from the 2019 Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program cross-sectional survey on vaping-related injury/illness were used. Analyses focused on injury/illness cases (n=71) among children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years who presented to participating paediatricians for a harm related to the inhalation of vaping aerosols. We conducted descriptive analyses and performed logistic regression to explore associations between severe presentations requiring hospitalization or intensive care unit (ICU) admission and selected case characteristics.

Results: Of the 71 reported injury/illness cases related to inhalation of vaping aerosols, 56% of patients were male, and 68% were aged 15 to 17 years. Nicotine vaping was reported in 42% of cases, and cannabis vaping in 24%. Fifty-four per cent presented with respiratory distress, 18% with symptoms of nicotine toxicity, and 41% required hospitalization and/or admission to the ICU. Cases presenting with respiratory distress were more likely to be hospitalized/admitted to the ICU (odds ratio [OR]=5.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.76 to 16.39).

Conclusions: The inhalation of vaping aerosols among children and adolescents may contribute to acute injury/illness. Clear associations between study variables and severe cases could not be established due to a small sample size. Additional research is needed to determine predictors and preventable risk factors of severe vaping-related injuries.

Keywords: Electronic nicotine delivery systems; Hospitalization; Intensive care unit; Paediatrics; Vaping; Wounds and injuries.