National Center for Health Statistics Monitoring Health Care in America Quarterly Fact Sheet Spotlight on: Lung DiseaseChronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are the fourth leading cause of death in America, accounting for nearly 105,000 deaths in 1995. Mortality rates from COPD have increased slightly over the past decade, and in 1992 it passed accidents as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In 1993, 63.5 years of potential life were lost due to COPD for every 100,000 persons under age 65 years. Death rates from COPD are greater for men than for women, and for white persons than for black persons. According to 1994 data, over 14.5 million Americans suffer from asthma, and more than 2 million Americans suffer from emphysema. In addition, over 14 million cases of chronic bronchitis were reported in the United States in 1994. The South has the greatest prevalence of asthma and chronic bronchitis, while the Northeast has the lowest. Use of Health
Services Nearly 12 million visits to hospital emergency departments in 1994 were due to diseases of the respiratory system. Over 1.6 million visits were by patients with a principal diagnosis of asthma. Another 1.35 million had a principal diagnosis of bronchitis (either acute or chronic). Nearly 15 million chest x rays were performed on emergency department patients and approximately 377,000 endotracheal intubations were performed on these patients. Two bronchodilators/antiasthmatics, Proventil and albuterol sulfate, accounted for over 2.7 million or 2 percent of all drugs prescribed at emergency department visits. Nearly 5.9 million visits were made to hospital outpatient departments in 1994 for respiratory diseases, where over 1.8 million chest x rays were performed. Over a million visits resulted in a principal diagnosis of asthma. Proventil was the ninth most frequently prescribed drug at outpatient department visits, accounting for 778,000 prescriptions, while another bronchodilator/antiasthmatic, Ventolin, was the 20th most frequently prescribed drug (592,000). In addition, 93.5 million office visits were made to physicians for respiratory diseases in 1994. More than 10.7 million of these visits resulted in a principal diagnosis of asthma, and more than 10.4 million resulted in a principal diagnosis of bronchitis (all types). Ventolin was the 15th most frequently prescribed drug at office visits, accounting for over 6.8 million prescriptions. For further information about "Monitoring Health Care in America" please contact NCHS, Office of Public Affairs ( 301)-458-4800 or via e-mail at paoquery@cdc.gov. Data Sources: Health,
United States, 1995. 328 pp. (PHS) 96-1232. GPO stock number
017-022-01339-8 price $25.00 Monthly Vital
Statistics Report Vol. 43, No. 7, Supplement. Advance Report of Final Mortality Statistics, 1993. Vital and Health
Statistics Series Reports No.
121. National Hospital Discharge Survey: Annual Summary, 1993. 63
pp. (PHS) 95-1782. GPO stock number 017-022-01317-7 price $5.00 Advance Data From
Vital and Health Statistics No.
273. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 1994 Summary. 20 pp.
(PHS) 96-1250
This page last reviewed
March 14, 2007
|