[Incidence and social medicine significance of chronic obstructive respiratory tract diseases in West Germany 1986].

On the basis of the statistics provided by health insurance organisations and pension insurance carriers, the incidence, socio-medical significance and cost to the general economy of chronic obstructive airways diseases in the Federal Republic of Germany can be calculated. In 1986, in the Federal Republic of Germany, these disorders (ICD No. 490-496 in the Key to the International Classification of Diseases) resulted in early pensioning in 9,611 cases, 36,752 inpatient curative measures that were carried by the pension insurance scheme, and also 7.8 million lost working days and 1.4 million days of hospitalisation within the area of activity of the general local health insurances. Of the costs thus incurred, 5.3 billion DM can be itemized (outpatient drugs, inpatient curative measures, early pensioning, lost working days, hospital treatment), but the overall costs to the country's economy in 1986 must be estimated at approximately 7-9 billion DM.