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Peak flow monitoring in children

P D Sly1

  • 1Clinical Sciences Division, Western Australian Research Institute for Child Health, Perth.

Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease = Archivio Monaldi Per Le Malattie Del Torace
|December 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Home monitoring of peak expiratory flow (PEF) is common in adult asthma care but its use in children is questionable. Studies show PEF meters may be inaccurate in kids, and symptoms often appear before PEF changes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Asthma Management
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Home monitoring of peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a standard practice for adult asthma management.
  • Its application in the pediatric population lacks systematic investigation.
  • Concerns exist regarding the accuracy and predictive value of PEF monitoring in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the advisability of home PEF monitoring in childhood asthma management.
  • To assess the accuracy and clinical utility of PEF monitoring in pediatric asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent studies on PEF meter accuracy in children.
  • Analysis of the relationship between PEF changes and objective lung function measures.
  • Evaluation of symptom onset relative to PEF changes in pediatric asthma patients.

Main Results:

  • Recent studies question the accuracy of mini-PEF meters in pediatric use.
  • The correlation between PEF changes and lung function changes can be poor in children.
  • Asthma symptoms often precede PEF changes, limiting predictive capacity.

Conclusions:

  • Routine home PEF monitoring may not be advisable for all childhood asthma cases.
  • The decision to use home PEF monitoring should be individualized by an experienced clinician.
  • Further research is needed to establish guidelines for PEF monitoring in pediatric asthma.

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