DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (J00-J99)
Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99) which include diseases that impact on the ability to breathe accounted for 10,863 registered deaths in 2006, which was 8.1% of all registered deaths. This is a 0.4% increase in deaths caused by Diseases of the respiratory system from 2005. In line with the pattern of previous years where more males than females died of this cause, there were 5,708 male deaths compared to 5,155 female deaths due to Diseases of the respiratory system. Over the past ten years, females tended to be slightly older than males for this underlying cause. This trend continued in 2006 with the median age at death for males at 81.2 years and for females at 84.2 years.
In 2006, Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) were the underlying cause of 5,443 deaths or 4.1% of all registered deaths. Chronic lower respiratory diseases include diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. More males than females died from this cause in 2006 (2,943 compared with 2,500). Males also tended to be slightly younger than females dying from this cause over time. In 2006, the median age at death caused by Chronic lower respiratory diseases was 80.0 years for males and 80.6 years for females.
In 2006, Pneumonia accounted for 2,699 registered deaths, or 2.0% of all registered deaths in Australia. As in previous years, more females died from Pneumonia than males, with 1,487 female deaths compared with 1,212 male deaths. The median age at death for males was also lower than for females, 84.6 years compared with 89.1 years for females.
The number of deaths from Pneumonia due to the complications of inhalation of solids and liquids (J69) has increased substantially over time, from 99 deaths in 1997 to 893 in 2006. In 2006, this type of pneumonia accounted for 33% of all deaths due to Pneumonia, a substantial increase from the 1997 figure of 4.9%. The increase in deaths due to this cause are mainly in the over 60 years age group. In 1997, 87 people over the age of 60 died from Pneumonia due to the complications of inhalation of solids and liquids whereas in 2006, 856 people over 60 years of age died from the same underlying cause.
2.10 Selected Underlying Causes, Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) - 2006 |
|  |
| | | Males | Females | Persons | Proportion of all deaths | |
| Cause of death and ICD code | no. | no. | no. | % | |
| |
| CHAPTER X Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99) | 5 708 | 5 155 | 10 863 | 8.1 | |
| Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) | 1 220 | 1 495 | 2 715 | 2.0 | |
| | Bacterial pneumonia, not elsewhere classified (J15) | 39 | 24 | 63 | - | |
| | Pneumonia, organism unspecified (J18) | 1 159 | 1 450 | 2 609 | 2.0 | |
| Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22) | 50 | 58 | 108 | 0.1 | |
| | Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection (J22) | 38 | 53 | 91 | 0.1 | |
| Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) | 2 943 | 2 500 | 5 443 | 4.1 | |
| | Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic (J40) | 22 | 26 | 48 | - | |
| | Unspecified chronic bronchitis (J42) | 19 | 16 | 35 | - | |
| | Emphysema (J43) | 377 | 253 | 630 | 0.5 | |
| | Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44) | 2 305 | 1 789 | 4 094 | 3.1 | |
| | Asthma (J45) | 134 | 256 | 390 | 0.3 | |
| | Bronchiectasis (J47) | 80 | 152 | 232 | 0.2 | |
| Lung diseases due to external agents (J60-J70) | 604 | 412 | 1 016 | 0.8 | |
| | Pneumoconiosis due to asbestos and other mineral fibres (J61) | np | np | 91 | 0.1 | |
| | Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids (J69) | 491 | 402 | 893 | 0.7 | |
| Other respiratory diseases principally affecting the interstitium (J80-J84) | 498 | 330 | 828 | 0.6 | |
| | Pulmonary oedema (J81) | 15 | 20 | 35 | - | |
| | Other interstitial pulmonary diseases (J84) | np | np | 771 | 0.6 | |
| Other diseases of pleura (J90-J94) | 37 | 31 | 68 | 0.1 | |
| | Pleural effusion, not elsewhere classified (J90) | 30 | 26 | 56 | - | |
| Other diseases of the respiratory system (J95-J99) | 308 | 312 | 620 | 0.5 | |
| | Respiratory failure, not elsewhere classified (J96) | 28 | 24 | 52 | - | |
| | Other respiratory disorders (J98) | 280 | 288 | 568 | 0.4 | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated |
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