E-cigarette use and prevalence of lung diseases among the U.S. population: a NHANES survey.

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate epidemiological characteristics and prevalence of lung disease among e-cigarettes users in the United States. A population-based, cross-sectional survey was performed using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 2015-2018. Adults using e-cigarettes (SMQ900), traditional smoking (SMQ020: > 100 cigarettes in lifetime or SMQ040: current cigarettes use), and dual smoking (e-cigarettes and traditional smoking) were identified and compared in their sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of lung diseases (Asthma: MCQ010 and COPD: MCQ160O). We used the chi square test (categorical variables) and Mann-Whitney test and unpaired-student t test (continuous variables). p-value <0.05 was used as a reference. We excluded respondents <18 years and missing data on demographics and outcomes. Out of 178,157 respondents, 7745 (4.35%), 48,570 (27.26%), and 23,444 (13.16%) were e-cigarette smokers, traditional smokers, and dual smokers, respectively. Overall prevalence of asthma was 15.16% and COPD was 4.26%. E-cigarette smokers were younger in comparison to traditional smokers (median: 25 years vs 62 years; p < 0.0001). In females (49.34% vs 37.97%), Mexican (19.82% vs 13.35%), annual household income above $100,000 (23.97% vs 15.56%), prevalence of e-cigarette smoking was higher in comparison to traditional smoking (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of COPD was higher among dual smokers in comparison to e-cigarette and traditional smoking (10.14% vs 0.25% vs 8.11%; p < 0.0001). Prevalence of asthma was higher among dual and e-cigarette smokers in comparison with traditional smokers and non-smokers (22.44% vs 21.10% vs 14.46% vs 13.30%; p < 0.0001). Median age (Q1-Q3) was lower at which asthma (7 years (4-12) vs 25 years (8-50)) was diagnosed first among e-cigarettes smokers in comparison with traditional smokers. In a mixed effect multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found higher odds of asthma among e-cigarette users in comparison with non-smokers (Odds ratio (OR): 1.47; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.21-1.78; p = 0.0001). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) respondents were also associated with 11.28 higher odds of e-cigarette utilization (Oddsratio (OR): 11.28; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 5.59-22.72; p < 0.0001). We conclude the higher prevalence of e-cigarette users is seen among the younger population, female, Mexican race, and annual income above $100,000 in comparison to traditional smokers. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma were both more prevalent in dual smokers. As asthma was more prevalent and diagnosed at an early age in e-cigarette smokers, more prospective studies are needed to understand the effects of e-cigarette among the population at risk to mitigate the sudden rise in utilization and to create awareness.

Spectrum of neurologic & neuroimaging manifestation in COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) initially thought to be confined to the respiratory system only, is now known to be a multisystem disease. It is critical to be aware of and timely recognize neurological and neuroradiological manifestations affecting patients with COVID-19, to minimize morbidity and mortality of affected patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to our Level 1 trauma and stroke center during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York from March 1st to May 30, 2020, with a positive test for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who presented mainly with neurological findings and had acute radiological brain changes on Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Patients with known chronic neurological disease processes were excluded from the study. We obtained and reviewed demographics, complete blood count, metabolic panel, D-dimer, inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), imaging, and patient's hospital course. We reviewed the current literature on neuroimaging, pathophysiology, and their clinical correlations on COVID-19. This case series study was approved by our institutional review board. RESULT: A total of 16 patients were selected for our case series. The most common neuroimaging features on CT, were territorial to multifocal ischemic infarcts, followed by a combination of ischemia and acute white matter encephalopathic changes, followed by temporal lobe predominant focal or more generalized encephalopathy with both confluent and non-confluent patterns, isolated cortical or more extensive intracranial hemorrhages and some combination of ischemia or hemorrhage and white matter changes. All our patients had severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), most of them had elevated inflammatory markers, and D dimer. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 infection is a multi-organ disease, which can manifest as rapidly progressive neurological disease beyond the more common pulmonary presentation. Early recognition of various neurological findings and neuroimaging patterns in these patients will enable timely diagnosis and rapid treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality. Our retrospective study is limited due to small non-representative sample size, strict selection criteria likely underestimating the true extent of neurological manifestations of COVID-19, mono-modality imaging technique limited to predominantly CT scans and lack of CSF analysis in all except one patient. Multi-institutional, multi-modality, largescale studies are needed with radio-pathological correlation to better understand the complete spectrum of neurologic presentations in COVID-19 patients and study the causal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and CNS disease process.