Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 12
SPOTLIGHT:
After Robert Young
services, and Jay Menaker,
SMOKE & MIRRORS:
ARE E-CIGARETTES SAFE?
found the University of
MD, associate professor
It's easy to believe that electronic cigarettes,
Maryland, he connected
of surgery and medical
or e-cigarettes, are a safe alternative to smoking.
with Taliba Anderson, a
director of the lung resus-
Instead of tobacco, e-cigarettes use battery-
lung-transplant administrative
citation unit, where Lia was
powered cartridges filled with flavored liquid
assistant, who quickly took
successfully cared for and
that contains nicotine and other chemicals.
Lia's medical records into
listed for a lung transplant.
The e-cigarette's heating device turns the liquid
Robert and their 18-
a transplant meeting to start
the review process.
The very next day, a doctor
year-old daughter, Telia,
took a separate flight to
into vapor, which is why using e-cigarettes is
sometimes known as "vaping."
Some people use e-cigarettes to help them
at the Dallas hospital walked
Baltimore and were soon in
quit smoking. Although they deliver a less toxic
into Lia's room and handed
the Shock Trauma Center
dose of nicotine than traditional cigarettes, users
Robert a stack of papers.
with Lia. With about 10
are still inhaling a highly addictive substance and
UMMC was going to take
doctors and nurses treating
other potentially harmful chemicals.
Lia with the goal of giving
Lia, Dr. Iacono pulled Robert
her a lung transplant.
and Telia into his office
found that the vapor in e-cigarettes contains
for a chat.
carcinogens and toxic chemicals, such as
Lia was put on ECMO, the
"I bought into his confi-
machine that allows her lungs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
formaldehyde and acetaldehyde; compounds
to rest, and three days later
dence. He was so confident
found in car exhaust; and metals that can be
a special medical jet was
in what he could do," Robert
inhaled into the lungs, such as nickel, tin and lead.
used to transport Lia from
says. "It boosted my morale,
Dallas to Baltimore.
because I was mentally gone."
The key for Lia was to find
"I remember cold air
KIDS AND VAPING
The belief that e-cigarettes are "safer" than
coming off the jet, siren
a donor with the same chest
traditional cigarettes has caused them to become
sounds getting in the
size and blood type, and to
popular among children and teens. Because their
ambulance, then the next
use plasmapheresis to work
brains are still growing, kids and young adults are
thing I remember is everyone
around her high antibodies.
uniquely at risk for long-term effects caused by
in pink scrubs around me,"
Within 24 hours of arriving
nicotine exposure. These risks include:
says Lia, who was uncon-
at UMMC, there was a match.
The day after her transplant,
scious much of the time after
being put on life support.
She was transported
■ Nicotine addiction
■ Mood disorders
Lia woke up with severe chest
■ Permanent lowering of impulse control
pain and didn't realize she had
■ Harm to the parts of the brain that control
attention and learning
to the Lung Rescue Unit
gotten new lungs. Lia used her
in the R Adams Cowley
finger to draw lungs on her
Shock Trauma Center, led by
chest and gave the thumbs-
tobacco-related disease and death, last year
Thomas Scalea, MD, FACS,
down sign. Robert shook his
the FDA banned the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone
MCCM, the Honorable
head, but Lia scrunched her
18 and younger and required adults under
Francis X. Kelly Distinguished
face in disbelief. After reassur-
age 26 to show photo ID to buy them.
Professor of Trauma
ance that she did, in fact, have
While researchers are aware that some of
Surgery, physician-in-chief
the surgery, tears rolled down
the effects of e-cigarettes are harmful to the
of the Shock Trauma Center
her face.
body, the long-term effects of e-cigarettes
"Oh, my goodness,"
at University of Maryland
Medical Center, and UMMS
Lia said. "That's why my
system chief for critical care
chest hurts."
12 MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS
In a further effort to end preventable
are still unknown. However, it is not safe to
assume that this habit is risk-free.
To watch a video about Lia's story, visit umm.edu/TexasMom.
http://www.umm.edu/TexasMom
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017
In This Issue
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 1
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - In This Issue
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 3
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 4
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 5
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 6
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 7
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 8
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 9
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 10
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 11
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 12
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 13
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 14
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 15
Maryland’s Health Matters - Midtown - Spring 2017 - 16
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