ABSTRACT
This chapter shows the incidence rates of episodes of respiratory tract infections according to age, sex and common high-risk diseases presented to the Dutch general practitioner (GP). Acute respiratory tract infections (RTI) have long been recognised as the major cause of morbidity and they rank among the most frequent causes of death among the elderly and very young. Among children, upper respiratory tract infections such as rhinosinusitis or acute otitis media are common reasons for encounter in the medical practice. Elderly patients are mostly affected by lower respiratory tract infections, like acute bronchitis, exacerbations of pre-existent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or, less often, pneumonia. Prevention of at least part of RTI by vaccination against influenza virus or S. pneumoniae, for example, has been an option for decades. The second Dutch National Survey of General Practice provided the opportunity to determine the incidence of upper and lower (recurrent) RTI according to age, sex and common high-risk comorbidity in primary care nationwide.
