Eighteen San Diegans have been hospitalized with pulmonary complications related to vaping as of Sept. 19, the San Diego County Health and Human Services confirmed.
The latest update is an eight-patient increase from the county's last count released Sept. 7. None of the patients are currently hospitalized, according to the county.
The ages of the patients range from 17 to 70 years old with a median age of 36 years old, according to the HHSA.
The technical term for the injury Vaping-Associated Pulmonary Injury (VAPI). It isn't clear when the county began its VAPI patient count.
VAPI patients typically suffer from cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and weight loss.
VAPI has not been linked to any specific e-cigarette or vaping product, the county said.
Indiana health officials said earlier this month that a resident died from severe lung injury linked to vaping.
A San Diego doctor told NBC 7 the FDA needs to regulate the devices and fluids they vaporize because no one has really studied those liquids.
"You're inhaling chemicals, you're inhaling metal particles as best we know," San Diego ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Ted Mazer said.
Local
It is illegal for tobacco companies to market flavored tobacco to children, but that law only extends to e-cigarettes and vaping devices in Michigan.
No other information was available.
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