[Respiratory tract diseases, their health-political importance and trends]

The diseases of the respiratory organs are defined and classified according to the 8th revision of the international classification of the diseases. The acute forms are above all represented by the infections of the respiratory tract. They are the problem No. 1 in health politics, since the most frequent exemptions from work are given on their account. A transition into chronic diseases of the respiratory tract is not infrequent. Among the causes of death the diseases of the respiratory system occupy the 3rd place, the chronic forms are an essential cause of early invalidity. Among the chronic diseases of the respiratory organs considerable shifts to the unspecific side took place. The tuberculosis is vastly reduced. The methods practised in its combat and the graduated, well functioning system of specialised outpatient institutions and hospitals proved as a very suitable instrumentarium also for the combat against the unspecific diseases of the respiratory organs. Three main groups increasingly demand our attention: bronchial carcinoma, chronic obstructive lung disease and the professionally conditioned diseases of the respiratory organs. Their combat demands a broad partnership with the physicians of the "first line", the factory health service and the internists. For this purpose the description of the own possibilities is necessary.