[Diagnosis of the bronchitic syndrome in the aged]

The cumulation of exogenic factors on the basis of an endogenic disposition and the addition of physiologic aging processes cause an increase of the "bronchitic syndrome" in old age. Heart insufficiency, tuberculosis, lung embolism and bronchial carcinoma are the important differential diagnostic aspects in these patients. The structural and functional changes of the lung in old people and the polypathy, resp. multimorbidity of the whole organism cause the complications and disadvantageous interferences. The prognostic important disturbances of the ventilation mechanics are early recognizable with new diagnostic tools, particularly with the whole body plethysmography.