A MAN has been left in coma after using a cheap e-cigarette he bought off the street.
The 26-year-old, of Burlington in Wisconsin, US, was taken to hospital struggling to breathe and doctors initially thought he had pneumonia.
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But on further inspection they realised he was suffering from lung damage after inhaling fumes from the dodgy vape vial.
Medics put the patient, who hasn’t been publicly named, in a medically-induced coma after his condition became critical.
But his brother, Patrick DeGrave, explained that he had a bought a vape cartridge containing THC – the psychoactive component in cannabis.
Mr DeGrave told Fox6 Now: “The trauma that he caused to his lungs is significant, the trauma that he caused to his heart is significant.
“These street vapes are very, very dangerous. My brother nearly lost his life.”
These street vapes are very, very dangerous. My brother nearly lost his life
Patrick DeGrave
Mr DeGrave has decided to speak out to warn others about the dangers of buying unregulated products.
He explained that his brother went to Aurora Memorial Hospital after having difficulty breathing.
The concerned sibling said that within 24 hours his brother was medically sedated and had been put in a coma.
At this stage, his brother’s fate is unclear.
Mr DeGrave added: “It’s wait and see. We’re uncertain right now if he’ll ever fully recover from this.”
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It comes just weeks after eight teenagers were hospitalised with severe lung damage in the same state after inhaling THC via an e-cigarette.
The youngsters arrived at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin with extreme coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fatigue and weight loss.
Louella Amos, a pediatric pulmonologist with Children’s Hospital, told the Journal Sentinel: “They come in not breathing well and look very sick…to the point where they can’t breathe.”
Dr. Michael Gutzeit, chief medical officer, added: “Vaping in teenagers is something that’s harming our kids and we want that to be loud and clear.”
Last month, we reported that a teenager had suffered horrific injuries after his e-cigarette exploded in his mouth and blew out his teeth.
The 17-year-old had to travel 250 miles with a bloody mouth, broken teeth and a hole in his jaw to get the nearest hospital after the freak accident.
Doctors rushed the boy into surgery to reconstruct and repair the shattered bone, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
In February, a 24-year-old man in Texas died after a vape pen exploded in his face and tore a major artery in his neck.
A year before that, a man in Florida was found dead after his e-cigarette exploded during use and sent a projectile into his head.
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