The authors submit the results of economic analysis of costs of drugs and hospitalization of 65 children with diagnoses of asthma bronchiale (J45) - 36 children, obstructive bronchitis (J41) - 14 children and other diseases of the respiratory pathways (J31) - 15 children who participated in 1998 in a course of speleotherapy (ST) in the Bystrianska cave. The health insurance company assessed the total costs of drugs and hospitalization of the mentioned children during the year before ST (1997) and year after ST (1999). The results proved a significant drop of expenditure on drugs in patients with diagnoses J41 and J31. In 36 children with the diagnosis of asthma bronchiale the expenditure on drugs increased. This increase occurred in 12 patients while in 24 there was a significant drop. Analysis of costs in 12 patients with increased costs revealed that the rise was not due to deterioration of the clinical condition (none of them were admitted to hospital) but a change of therapy according to contemporary standards of asthma therapy. When calculating the overall costs 1 169.50 Slovak crowns per child were saved. Speleotherapy of allergic and other respiratory diseases in children has not only a medical but also economic effect.

        Key words: speleotherapy, respiratory diseases of children, analysis of expenditure on drugs