Russian pediatrician Andrei Prodeus has warned that vape-associated lung injury is spreading rapidly among teenagers and adults across the country.
The warning follows a severe case in Kemerovo, where a 16-year-old teenager was admitted to intensive care suffering from bilateral lung damage caused by e-cigarettes.
The teenager arrived at the hospital with a blood oxygen saturation level of just 65 percent, far below the normal physiological range of 95 to 100 percent. Oxygen saturation measures the proportion of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood, and levels below 90 percent indicate critical respiratory failure. Bilateral lung damage affects both lungs simultaneously, severely impairing the body's ability to absorb oxygen. Kemerovo is an industrial city located in southwestern Siberia.
Rapid onset of severe complications
Prodeus, a doctor of medical sciences and professor of pediatric immunology, delivered the warning during an interview with the Russian news outlet National News Service, also known as NSN. Pediatric immunology is a medical subspecialty that focuses on immune system disorders and allergic conditions in children and adolescents.
He explained that vape-associated lung disease develops far more rapidly than pathologies linked to conventional cigarette smoking. The condition is extremely severe and frequently leaves patients in critical condition, requiring admission to hospital intensive care units for emergency stabilization.
The doctor emphasized that medical professionals have not yet learned how to rapidly diagnose vapers' lung illness. Because early detection remains difficult, he warned that the number of cases will continue to grow every year unless the spread of vaping devices is halted.
Widespread use and viral risks
According to Prodeus, Russia currently has a huge population of teenagers and adults who smoke e-cigarettes. He noted that serious health difficulties can appear remarkably fast, emerging after as little as four months of regular vaping.
His warning builds on previous statements by surgeon Sergei Popov, who explained how vaping negatively impacts pulmonary function. Popov noted that individuals who smoke e-cigarettes can remain sick with respiratory viral infections for longer periods than non-smokers. Respiratory viral infections are illnesses caused by viruses that target the breathing passages, including common colds and influenza.
