[Comparison of different types of peak flow meter and reference values for peak expiratory flow (PEF) for healthy...

Any observed value of PEF in a given subject must be assessed by comparing it with that achieved by a normal healthy individual of the same race, sex, age, and, height. I introduce reference values for PEF for healthy Japanese subjects (established in 1995) for this purpose. During our survey, however, we observed considerable differences in references obtained by four different types of PEF meter (mini-Wright, Assess, Personal Best, and Vitalograph). This is an important observation that warrants our further investigation.