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Natasha Dudiki

Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, United States of America

Title: A Large Lung Abscess in an Electronic Cigarette User: To Drain or Not to Drain

Abstract

A lung abscess is a walled necrotizing infection involving the lung parenchyma, characterized by a cavitary lesion filled with fluid. It is usually caused by microbial infection with aspiration of oropharyngeal contents being the most common mechanism for primary lung abscesses. Secondary lung abscesses occur in the presence of predisposing lung conditions like bronchial obstruction, vascular or septic emboli or impaired host defenses. Lung abscesses caused by electronic cigarette use have gained relevance in the recent years since the outbreak of EVALI, that is, e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury, in 2019. First-line therapy involves prompt initiation of antibiotics given their success rate in the treatment of lung abscess in the current potent antibiotic era. Percutaneous aspiration and catheter drainage is considered a second line approach due to concerns for potential complications including catheter blockage necessitating repeat procedures, pneumothorax, hemothorax, hemoptysis, need for surgical intervention, infection of pleural space and bronchopleural fistula. We describe a case of a 21-year-old female with a history of electronic cigarette use presenting with a large left upper lobe lung abscess (14.5 x 8.5 x 13.3 cm) treated successfully with broad-spectrum antibiotics alone resulting in clinical and radiologic improvement.

Biography

Natasha Dudiki is a board certified pulmonary and critical care physician practicing in Indiana, United States. She has completed her internal medicine residency training at Saint Vincent Hospital and pulmonary critical care training in University of Massachusetts. She has published around 14 articles in reputed journals like American Thoracic Society, CHEST, Society of Critical Care Medicine and has about 26 citations. Is an active member in the peer review committee for journals like Cureus, Clinical case reports.