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CDC encourages clinicians to report possible cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette product use, or vaping, to their local or state health department for further investigation.
If e-cigarette product use, or vaping, is suspected as a possible cause for a patient’s symptoms, a detailed history of the substances used, the devices used, and the sources of the devices and substances, should be obtained, as outlined in the Health Alert Network (HAN). Additionally, efforts should be made to determine if any remaining product and liquids used in the devices are available for testing.
While testing of products and liquids is ongoing, CDC has been asked to provide guidance on collection and storage of clinical samples. This may include retention of residual clinical samples collected for patient care or samples collected and stored from early in a patient’s presentation to look for markers of exposure.
Health care providers and state public health authorities should work together to make decisions about the collection and storage of clinical samples. Health care providers should initiate communication promptly with their local or state public health laboratory to retain samples if further analysis is anticipated.