[Mortality in non-specific respiratory tract inflammation and bronchial obstructive diseases in relation to the environment in the Czech Republic].

BACKGROUND

Despite antibiotic treatment the mortality from inflammations of the airways is still high in our country and worldwide. The objective of the present work is a review of the mortality from respiratory diseases with regard to their prevalence, in relation to gender in the whole Czech Republic and in different regions, in Prague and in southern and northern Bohemia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

During the last years the order of mortality from respiratory diseases is as follows: lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, whereby in men the first place is held by lung cancer, in women by pneumonia. In 1992-1994 in the Czech Republic the relative mortality rate from acute bronchitis (bronchiolitis). pneumonia and influenza combined was 24.8, 20.7 and 20.6/100,000 population. In Prague the increment of this mortality was as follows: in 1993-13.5/100,000, in 1994-14.8/100,000. A marked increase was recorded in southern Bohemia (from 16.9 to 26.0) but a drop in northern Bohemia (from 14.5 to 12.2/100,000 population). In 1992 and 1993 in the Czech Republic the number of deaths from diseases associated with respiratory infections -influenza, pneumonia, acute bronchitis (bronchiolitis) and diseases associated with bronchial obstruction (chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and pulmonary emphysema) was balanced. In 1994 there was a marked drop in the mortality from diseases with bronchial obstruction as compared with 1993-N 2104/679. In 1994, as compared with 1992 and 1993, the mortality relation in these two groups was reversed and in 1994 mortality from respiratory infections predominates markedly over mortality from obstructions. In Prague infections predominate 1.6 times, in northern Bohemia 1.5 times and in southern Bohemia as much as 3.8 times.

CONCLUSIONS

In the Czech Republic the mortality from acute bronchitis (bronchiolitis), pneumonia and influenza combined was in 1993 and 1994 20.7 and 20.6 per 100 000 population. In 1994 the mortality from diseases associated with bronchial obstruction declined markedly, while the mortality from respiratory infections increased in southern Bohemia.