According to an editorial published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, two-thirds of primary care physicians and pulmonologists surveyed recommended use of FDA-approved smoking cessation medications before use of e-cigarettes.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville) surveyed primary care physicians and pulmonary medicine specialists to respond to a clinical vignette describing a patient with asthma and ongoing combustible cigarette use who inquired about use of electronic cigarettes as a cessation tool.
Results showed 67.5% of the respondents indicated that they would initially recommend trying FDA-approved medications, recommending against e-cigarettes.
For the patient described in the vignette, 18% of respondents recommended e-cigarettes unconditionally.