Principles of flow
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list the peak flow equiptment
-peak flow meter -disposable mouthpiece , with one way valves or BVF - one way safety valve prevents patients breathing in equiptment -reduces infection risk -valve should face patient
How do we measure peak flow?
-attach mouthpiece ot peak flow meter -move pointer on meter to 0 -ask patient to breath in to TLC, put mouthpiece into mouth -make sure peak flow meter remains horizontal and the patient does not occlude the scale or pointer -short, sharp puff -remove peak flow meter, record value -reset pointer -repeat x2 -report best attempt of 3
What are some errors of measurements?
-poor effort -leaks around the mouthpiece -inadequate rest between attempts -fingers occluding the pointer on the peak flow meter
What is sequential peak flow monitoring?
-recording peak flow over a period of time can be used to aid diagnosis -patients typically record their peak flow 2-4 times a day and record results in a peak flow diary for at least 2 weeks
What is some variablility involved in Peak flow?
-normal diurnal variation in peak flow is 8% -variation more than or equal to 20% indicates asthma
How is variability calculated?
%change = max PEF-min PEF x100 divided by max PEF
What are some limitations of peak flow?
-PEF is effort dependent -patients are likely to comply with PEF over a short time rather than long time measurements -patients can produce high measurements by coughing or spitting into the meter -patients can falsify results -if patients dont clean the peak flow meter moisture can build up and cause errors in measurements