Avera pediatric specialist furthers awareness of vaping, treatment

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

Did you know vaping could be related to common issues like night sweats, nausea and diarrhea?

As research on vaping continues, more is being learned about long-term effects. That’s important for critical care pediatricians like Avera’s Dr. Benson Hsu, Avera Children’s Hospital, who may come across these symptoms while treating kids in the hospital. Earlier diagnosis can be critical for successful treatment.

In fact, Hsu is one of the doctors working to inform other doctors, patients and even national policies on vape-related issues.

“I’m much more direct with patients I see, and I ask them about vaping use, especially if they have respiratory issues,” said Hsu, who recently co-authored a state-of-the-art review for the American Academy of Pediatrics. It was published in its Pediatrics^© journal.

Hsu is a former Bush Foundation and The Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. He’s known as a national leader in pediatric critical care. He’s passionate about innovation in health care, particularly in the rural areas where many South Dakotans live. Beyond vaping, Hsu has developed insights and research on health services, including work that looks at analytics and AI in health care delivery. He currently uses his national role as a leadership platform to improve pediatric care, locally and across the country.

His paper on vaping is just one way Hsu continues to develop improved care for his patients. Vaping in particular is important because its long-term effects can be widespread, making additional awareness and increased provider knowledge on the topic invaluable.

The issue of vaping caught Hsu’s interest because it is so prevalent in schools and has a dramatic negative impact on pediatric communities.

What Is EVALI?

Vaping poses a variety of threats, Hsu said. One is EVALI, an acronym for e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury. His paper considered this condition and how it might be masked by other illnesses or conditions.

“We made a comprehensive review of EVALI in kids through our work,” he added. “In my practice, I now consider vaping as a possible factor in a wider range of clinical situations.” Hsu (pronounced shoe) said common conditions can be connected to vape use, such as:

• Constitutional symptoms, like fevers, night sweats and fatigue.
• GI issues, like stomachaches, nausea or diarrhea.
• Breathing problems, from shortness of breath to wheezing, grunting or chest contractions.

“To fight vaping, which reports show is common in 10 to 20 percent of all high school students, I encourage my colleagues to bring it up in exams,” Hsu said. “We have to talk to moms, dads, caregivers – and kids themselves – in order to combat it.”

Research key in diagnosing, treating kids with EVALI

Long-term effects of vape use, or formally diagnosed EVALI, are yet to be completely documented. “When a child presents with a breathing abnormality, we have to consider vaping,” he said. “Our paper consolidates current knowledge on vaping so that providers and parents can use it to help kids.”

As the current chair of the AAP Section on Critical Care executive committee, Hsu is at the forefront of the largest professional society of pediatric intensive care physicians in the United States. He is also a member of the AAP Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is intimately involved in the policies and protocols driving pediatric inpatient and emergency care across the country.

“National policies are driven by professional insight, as well as the needs of patients, parents and families,” Hsu said. “Kids who vape may go onto smoking cigarettes. Our society is well aware of the health detriments that come from such behavior.”

Arming families with facts and caring for kids in the crises that come with vape-related problems are the twin approaches Hsu takes daily.

“We want every doctor who works with kids to be aware of EVALI and how it shows up in exams and diagnoses,” he added. “We’re all happy to share our vision and provide support to help kids stay away from these threats.”

Get more information on what our providers are up to at Avera.org/Balance.