>> THIS WEEK THE U.S. CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL ACTIVATED
ITS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
TO ADDRESS THE OUTBREAK OF
SEVERE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
LUNG DISEASE CAUSED BY VAPING.
U.S. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN
CALLED FOR THE ACTIVATION
SAYING MY HOME STATE HAS BEEN
ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS
OUTBREAK.
>> ACCORDING TO LATEST NUMBERS
FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH SERVICES, OUR STATE
HAS SEEN 48 CASES OF LUNG
DISEASE IN 21 COUNTIES.
ANOTHER 13 CASES ARE SUSPECTED.
NO DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN
WISCONSIN.
PATIENTS IN THE MAJORITY OF
CASES ACCORDING TO STATE
OFFICIALS REPORTED USING
E-CIGARETTES OR VAPING DEVICES
TO INHALE THC PRODUCTS LIKE
WAXES OR OILS.
NATIONWIDE, THERE HAVE BEEN AT
LEAST EIGHTH DEATHS CONFIRMED
WITH SOME 530 PEOPLE SUFFERING
DAMAGED LUNGS AS A RESULT OF
VAPING.
NOW THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION HAS REPORTEDLY
LAUNCHED A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION FOCUSING ON THE
SUPPLY CHAIN OF VAPING PRODUCTS.
WITH MANY PEOPLE INJURED SAYING
THEY HAVE USED BLACK-MARKET THC
PRODUCTS.
MEANWHILE, TWO KENOSHA BROTHERS
WERE CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH
WEEK IN CONNECTION WITH TCH
VAPING CARTRIDGES.
AUTHORITIES DESCRIBING THE
OPERATION AS A VERY LARGE
CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.
THE PROSECUTOR IN THE CASE SAYS
THE CARTRIDGES FOUND IN THE
BROTHERS' HOME ARE BEING TESTED
TO SEE IF THEY CAN BE LINKED TO
ANY CASES OF LUNG DISEASE.
AGAINST THIS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING
PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS DOCTORS AT
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF
WISCONSIN WERE AMONG THE FIRST
TO CONNECT THE DEADLY LUNG
DISEASE TO VAPING.
ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNOR, PUT
WISCONSIN ON THE NATIONAL
FOREFRONT OF THE INVESTIGATION.
WE LEARN MORE NOW ON THIS FROM
THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE
PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
AS CHILDREN'S DR. MICHAEL MEYER
WHO JOINS US.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO
BE HERE.
>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THE DAMAGE YOU'RE SEEING
IN PEOPLE'S LUNGS LINKED TO
VAPING THAT YOU'RE SEEING?
>> AS PART OF BEING A PEDIATRIC
INTENSIVE CARE PHYSICIAN WE SEE
MANY CASES OF SEVERELY DAMAGED
LUNGS.
WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT
THIS, IT WAS IN TEENAGERS, THE
TIME OF YEAR AND THE FACT THAT
WE HAD A CLUSTER OF TEENAGERS
THAT ALL CAME TOGETHER IN OUR
HOSPITAL.
>> WHAT DID THE TIME OF YEAR
HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
>> NORMALLY WHEN WE SEE WHAT WE
CALL A PNEUMONIA LIKE THIS WE
THINK WINTERTIME.
WHEN WE SEE IT OUT OF THE
SEASON AND SEE IT IN TEENAGERS,
WE START THINKING BAD DISEASES
AND IT INVOLVES A VERY
EXTENSIVE WORK-UP OF THESE
CHILDREN THAT INVOLVES A VERY
LARGE TEAM OF HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS IN ORDER TO SORT
THROUGH ALL OF THE QUESTIONS
AND COME UP WITH A DIAGNOSIS.
>> AND SO HOW KIND OF
FRIGHTENING WAS IT FOR THE TEAM
OF PHYSICIANS TO SEE THIS
CLUSTER OF THIS LUNG DAMAGE?
>> YOU KNOW, FRIGHTENING I
DON'T THINK IS THE BEST WORD TO
DESCRIBE IT.
I THINK THAT AS A GROUP AND AS
A TEAM, IT BECAME VERY
INTRIGUING AND INTERESTING.
EVERY DAY THAT WE'RE HERE AT
CHILDREN'S, WE'RE HERE TRYING
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS
BEST FOR THE HEALTHCARE OF THE
CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND
YOU SEE A CLUSTER AND YOU GO
INTO YOUR MINDSET THIS IS MY
ONE PATIENT AND HOW I'LL TAKE
CARE OF OUR PATIENT.
THROUGHOUT OUR TRAINING WE'RE
TAUGHT ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND
TRYING TO ASSOCIATE CLUSTERS OF
DISEASE PRESENTATIONS AND THINK
ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT HAPPENED
HERE.
>> HAVE YOU ISOLATED WHAT IS
CAUSING THE DAMAGE?
>> NO, HERE WE HAVEN'T.
OUR FOCUS REALLY HAS BEEN ON
THE CLINICAL CARE OF THE
CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AT
CHILDREN'S AND THEN UTILIZING
OUR RESOURCES WITH WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REALLY
SORT OUT WHAT COULD BE THIS.
I VIEW US AS A CANARY AND WE
WERE THE FIRST CANARY IN ORDER
TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER
BECAUSE HERE AT CHILDREN'S
WE'RE THE REFERRAL AREA FOR THE
STATE.
SO SERIOUSLY ILL, SERIOUSLY
INJURED CHILDREN SHOW UP AT OUR
DOORSTEP FROM ALL OVER THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN.
>> SPECIFICALLY WHAT HAPPENS TO
PEOPLE AFFLICTED, AND HOW ARE
PHYSICIANS ABLE TO PREVENT THEM
FROM DYING?
>> SO I THINK WE SAW SOME
COMMON THINGS AS WE WENT BACK
THROUGH OUR CLUSTER OF CHILDREN.
USUALLY WE SAW A COUPLE WEEKS
OF WEIGHT LOSS, DECREASED
ENERGY, INCREASED WORK OF
BREATHING, AND JUST OVERALL
DIFFICULTY WITH BREATHING.
THEN SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE
CHILDREN WHICH LED THEM TO SEEK
HEALTHCARE.
WITH INCREASING WORK AT
BREATHING AND ALL OF THEM HAD
LOW BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION AND
NEEDED MORE OXYGEN AND LARGE
AMOUNTS OF EXTRA OXYGEN FOR
SOME OF THEM.
>> DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
THE OUTCOME FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK
CARE SOONER?
>> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION THAT WE'RE STILL
TRYING TO SORT OUT.
MANY OF THOSE PIECES.
THAT'S WHY UNDERSTANDING FROM A
CDC STANDPOINT THE TOTAL NUMBER
OF PATIENTS THAT ARE AFFECTED
BY THIS SO THAT WE CAN GET A
BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL PATIENT THAT IT MAY
BE A LONG TIME OF EXPOSURE OR
SHORT TIME OF EXPOSURE AND IT
WILL BE UP TO THAT INDIVIDUAL
PATIENT'S RESPONSE TO IN THIS
CASE WHAT WE THINK IS VAPING.
>> SO OF THE PATIENTS IN 21
COUNTIES IF THEY ARE PEDIATRIC
CASES ARE THEY ACTUALLY COMING
TO YOUR FACILITY OR ARE YOU
WORKING WITH THEIR PHYSICIANS?
>> A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
CHILDREN'S HERE IN MILWAUKEE
WE'RE THE REFERRAL POINT FOR
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND
SERVICE THE ENTIRE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, NORTHERN ILLINOIS
AND PIECES OF MICHIGAN AND
MINNESOTA.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR CARE
CENTER AND BEING A CENTER OF
EXPERTISE FOR THE CARE OF
CHILDREN.
THERE IS OTHER PLACES IN THE
STATE THAT TAKE CARE OF
CHILDREN AND WE WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL.
HERE IN MILWAUKEE WHAT WE'VE
HAD 17 CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED.
>> DO YOU KNOW THE EXPERTS AND
THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, DO
YOU KNOW WHAT THE LONG-TERM
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS KIND OF
LUNG DAMAGE MIGHT BE FOR THESE
PEOPLE?
>> I THINK THAT'S THE BIG
QUESTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD
WITH THINGS.
THE TREATMENT THAT WE PUT IN
PLACE WAS ACTUALLY VERY GOOD
SUPPORTIVE CARE AND USED A LOT
OF STEROIDS IN ORDER TO
DECREASE THE IMMUNE RESPONSE
AND INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE.
WHERE WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE
RIGHT NOW IS TO REALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT IF THIS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH VAPING AND THAT
WHAT CHEMICAL, WHAT DURATION OF
EXPOSURE, AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK
LIKE 10, 15, 20 YEARS FROM NOW?
THESE ARE ALL UNKNOWN.
VAPING HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 15
YEARS.
THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS
WE'VE SEEN A BIG INCREASE IN
VAPING IN CHILDREN.
CHILDREN AND THEIR DEVELOPING
LUNGS WE DON'T KNOW THE LONG
TERM EFFECT OF THE VAPING
PRODUCTS.
WE KNOW VAPING IS BAD FOR KIDS
AND IT IS NOT APPROVED FOR
CHILDREN.
>> WE DESCRIBE THIS AS A
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS.
DO YOU CONTINUE TO SEE CASES?
>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN A CASE TWO
OR THREE WEEKS.
WE WERE AVERAGING ONE CASE PER
WEEK WHILE IT WAS GOING ON.
WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO GO
PUBLIC AND MAKE A PUBLIC
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT AROUND OUR
SIXTH CASE.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A LARGE
ENOUGH CLUSTER.
BY THE TIME THAT WE DID GO LIVE
IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN SENT
OUT ITS PROVIDER ADVISORY
LETTER IS WE HAD EIGHT CHILDREN
THAT WE HAD SEEN BY THAT TIME.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU AND
YOUR PHYSICIANS AND YOUR TEAM
TO HAVE BEEN, AS A GOVERNOR
SAYS, AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS
INVESTIGATION?
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR
GOVERNOR AND STATE SENATOR TALK
ABOUT YOUR TEAM IN THAT FASHION
IT DOES BRING A SENSE OF PRIDE.
I THINK THAT AS TRADITIONAL
WISCONSINITES THERE WILL BE A
GREAT SENSE OF HUMILITY AND
BEING HUMBLE AND MOST OF US
WILL LOOK AT THIS AND SAY
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
OUR JOB IS TO BE THE SAFETY NET
FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN
AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF
WISCONSIN AND THE MEDICAL
COLLEGE ARE PART OF COMMUNITY
PRIDE AND ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN BUT FOR THE ENTIRE
STATE OF WISCONSIN.
>> DR. MICHAEL MEYER, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US ON