Resolution of chronic nasal Staphylococcus aureus infection in a non-smoker who started to use glycerine based e-cigarettes: Antibacterial effects of vaping?
Section snippets
Background
The details of health effects of using e-cigarettes (EC) remain controversial, but there is a consensus that they are much less risky than cigarettes [1]. E.g. their cancer potential has been estimated to be under 0.5% of that of smoking [2]. With large numbers of smokers switching to vaping (e.g. over 1.5 million in the UK – [3]), a signal has been emerging of a possible and unexpected beneficial effect of vaping. Internet vaping fora include frequent reports that vapers experience
Presentation
RC is a 63-year old emergency care physician. He is overall in good health, but suffered from recurring nasal infections since the late 1980s, when he first developed a severe and long lasting nasal infection. Symptoms when he had a flare included chronic nasal congestion, with bloody, green thick mucus and solid crusts, experienced throughout the day. He eventually got a culture of the nasal discharge examined and it was caused by Staphylococcus aureus. RC medicated with cephalexin and the
Discussion and conclusions
Smoking increases susceptibility to respiratory infections [6] but as RC is a non-smoker, the resolution of his infection cannot be ascribed to smoking cessation. He also does not use e-liquids containing propylene glycol. There are two other putative factors that could have been responsible for the effect observed here. Another possibility is of course a coincidence.
Vegetable glycerine has bacteriostatic properties that contribute to suppression of reproduction of bacteria [9]. As early as
Competing interests
Neither of the authors declare any conflict of interest.
Funding
The report required no external funding.
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