Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 22, 2026
Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting
Published on: April 8, 2022
[Compliance with and acceptability of a new electronic peak flow meter, the PiKo-1]
S Meuric1, M Leroy, B Raffestin
1Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Boulogne Billancourt, Université de Versailles-Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France.
Insights
This study found that a new electronic peak flow meter (PiKo-1) was well-accepted by children with asthma. While compliance decreased over time, the device shows promise for home monitoring of asthma control.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Asthma Management
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Effective asthma management relies on monitoring airflow obstruction.
- Home-based monitoring of Peak Expiratory Respiratory Flow (PEFR) is crucial for children with asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the compliance and acceptability of a new electronic peak flow meter (PiKo-1) for home PEFR monitoring in children with asthma.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-three children with asthma used the PiKo-1 daily for 4-8 weeks, recording data in a diary.
- Patient-recorded data were compared with data stored on the PiKo-1, unbeknownst to participants.
- A questionnaire assessed the acceptability of the PiKo-1 device.
Main Results:
- Compliance exceeded 80% for 67% of patients initially but decreased over the study period.
- 12% of recorded values were falsified; compliance dropped from 96% in week 1 to 68% in week 5.
- The PiKo-1 was generally found to be small, attractive, and useful, though some children disliked the mouthpiece size.
Conclusions:
- The electronic peak flow meter (PiKo-1) was well-accepted by pediatric asthma patients.
- The short study duration may have contributed to good initial compliance.
- This device offers a potential method for home monitoring of PEFR and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1).
Background:
Monitoring airflow obstruction is an essential component of asthma management. We examined home recording of PEFR using a new electronic peak flow meter in terms of compliance and acceptability in a group of children with asthma.
Methods:
Twenty three children (3 with intermittent asthma and 20 with persistent asthma) (average age 10.9 +/- 3.8 [5-18] yrs) were asked to assess their PEFR every day during a period of 5.8 +/- 1.2 [4-8] weeks and record it in a diary card. Patients were not aware that their data was also being stored on the PiKo-1. At the end of the study, the written data were compared to the stored data. A multiple choice questionnaire was given to each subjectto check the acceptability of the PiKo-1.
Results:
2 patients were lost to follow up. The compliance (expressed as a percent of the number of recordings that should have been made) was more that 80% for 14/21(67%) patients and less than 45% for 3/21 (14%). Compliance decreased during the study (96% in the first week, 68% during the fifth). 12% of the values were falsified. The PiKo-1 was considered to be small, attractive and useful. Some children found the mouthpiece too small.
Conclusion:
The good results for compliance that we observed might have been due to the short duration of the study. PiKo-1 was well accepted by the subjects. It will be possible to monitor PEFR and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration at home using this new device.
