A 16-year-old girl from Central Visayas became the first case of Electronic Cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury in the Philippines, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

In a statement Friday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III disclosed that they have already received a report of a case when the patient was admitted at an undisclosed hospital, including a brief stay at the intensive care unit.

"Patient is well with no recurrence of symptoms. Patient had abstained from using e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes since her hospitalization," said Duque.

Duque said the patient started using e-cigarettes with flavored e-liquid daily in March 2019 for three to four months before shifting to combustible cigarettes.

Two weeks prior to admission, the patient had non-productive cough despite taking medications.

Hours prior to admission, she had sudden difficulty of breathing and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors assessed her to be in respiratory distress.

The patient was referred to a pediatric pulmonologist, who advised her transfer to ICU.

The patient was transferred to a regular ward and discharged on the sixth day.

Last October, the Department of Health urged all government and private hospitals, clinics, and other health facilities to monitor and report these cases.

This was after the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10 code U07.0, an international tool for classifying and monitoring diseases, to be used for reporting acutely ill patients, who have used electronic cigarettes in the last 90 days, with no other plausible causes for illness.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo renewed a call for those using electronic cigarettes or other vaping products to stop.

He also urged the regional trial courts of Pasig and Manila to resolve as soon as possible pending case versus the DOH and the Food Drug Administration Administrative Order No. 2019-0007 for regulating manufacturing, selling, and usage of e-cigarettes and vapes.

Writs of preliminary injunction have been issued last October by the Pasig and Manila courts against AO 2019-0007 after its legality was questioned by a certain Ryan Sason and by Clean Puff. DMS