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Respiratory Diseases
Importance and Measures
| Mortality |
| Number of deaths due to lung diseases (2001)................................................................. |
231,54536 |
| Number of deaths, influenza and pneumonia combined (2003)........................................... |
64,8472 |
| Cause of death rank, influenza and pneumonia combined (2003)........................................ |
7th2 |
| |
|
| Prevalence |
| Americans 18 or over with an asthma attack in past 12 months (2003).............................. |
13,623,00037 |
| Americans under 18 with an asthma attack in past 12 months (2003)................................ |
3,975,00038 |
| |
|
| Incidence |
| Annual number of cases of the common cold in the U.S. (est)........................................... |
>1 billion39 |
| Annual number of pneumonia cases (1996)...................................................................... |
4,800,00040 |
| |
|
| Cost |
| Total cost of lung diseases (2005 est.)......................................................................... |
$139.6 billion3 |
| Direct medical costs of lung diseases (2005 est.).......................................................... |
$80.7 billion3 |
| Total approximate cost of upper respiratory infections (annual)........................................ |
$40 billion41 |
| Total cost of asthma (2004).......................................................................................... |
$27.6 billion36 |
| Direct medical costs of asthma (2004).......................................................................... |
$11.5 billion36 |
Measures
The NHQR tracks several quality measures for prevention and treatment of this broad category of illnesses that includes influenza, pneumonia, asthma, upper respiratory infection, and tuberculosis. The four core report measures highlighted in this section are:
- Pneumococcal vaccination
- Receipt of recommended care for pneumonia
- Receipt of antibiotics for the common cold
- Hospital admissions for pediatric asthma
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