Occupational Diseases of the Airways, Lungs and Pleura in the Czech Republic in 1996 to 2001

Overview

Occupational diseases of the airways, lungs and pleura notified according to chapter III of the List of occupational diseasesaccounted in 1996 to 2001 (2438 new cases) for 20% of all occupational diseases. The trend of occupational respiratory diseaseswas throughout the six-year interval declining and dropped from 538 occupational diseases notified in 1996 to 309 in 2001. Thediseases affected working people aged 18 to 90 years, mean 52± 14 years. Among the patients men predominated (81%). Accordingto classification by economic branch 45% of all diseases developed in coal mining and 10% in uranium mining. In the CzechRepublic pneumoconiosis caused by dust containing free silica predominated (61%) over occupational asthma and allergicdiseases of the upper airways (22%), lung cancer caused by radioactive substances (10%) and bronchopleuropulmonary diseasescaused by asbestos which accounted for 5% of the spectrum of occupational respiratory diseases.

Key words:
working environment, occupational diseases, pneumoconiosis, occupational asthma, occupational cancer, disease causedby asbestos