This work aimed to estimate the cases of hospitalar internment for selected respiratory diseases associated to the levels of atmospheric pollution in the city of Volta Redonda (RJ), in the period from 2005 to 2007. A function of regression of Poisson was estimated from the daily data on the Hospitalar Internment Authorization (HIA) made available by DATASUS (dependent variable), daily levels of pollutants found in the atmosphere collected by the State Environment Institute (SEI) and control variables. As the main result it is emphasized that among the 5,235 internments, by the evaluated control group, 6% (317 cases) are associated to the pollutants levels found in the atmosphere. The economic cost generated by these diseases, captured by the Methods of the Avoided Costs, was R$ 170,711.83. It was concluded that the existence of pollutant substances in the atmosphere contributes respiratory diseases in the population taking to well-being and economic losses besides elevating the expenses of the Health Unique System (HUS) with the treatment and recuperation of the patients' health condition. In this context, the adoption of public politics that come to reduce/eliminate the levels of pollution in the atmosphere and, consequently, the generated economic damages and discomforts becomes indispensable.
hospitalization; air pollution; respiratory tract diseases
