A pocked-sized turbine flowmeter and spirometer device, integrated with an electronic diary card (EDC-spirometer, Micro Medical, U.K.), was tested with a mechanical calibrator, in an outpatient clinic and in the home situation. A screen pneumotachometer was used as flow and volume reference. Ten devices were tested; interdevice variability was small with a mean variation coefficient of 1.1% for...

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring is recommended in the management of moderate to severe asthma, and PEF outcome variables are used in many clinical trials. However, adherence with PEF monitoring is poor, and this is often attributed to the burden of measurement and recording. This analysis examined whether adherence with symptom monitoring was impaired by asking patients also to record PEF...

BACKGROUND Written asthma action plans based on personal best peak expiratory flow (PEF) consistently improve health outcomes, whereas those based on predicted PEF do not. Guidelines state that personal best PEF should be assessed over 2-3 weeks during good asthma control, but it is unclear how long to wait after commencing or changing treatment. METHODS Electronically recorded spirometric da...

Self-management education is the cornerstone of modern asthma care and consists of self-monitoring, transfer of information, a written action plan, and regular medical review. Current international guidelines recommend the use of home monitoring of peak expiratory flow (PEF) as a part of selfmonitoring. PEF recordings potentially provide valuable information on risk prediction of asthma episode...

background and objective: obstructive sleep apnea (osa) is a disease with serious consequences. many portable devices have been developed to overwhelm some of limitations in the accessibility of the gold standard test for osa, polysomnography (psg). this study aimed to determine diagnostic accuracy of a portable sleep apnea screener against psg in patients of a sleep clinic. materials and metho...

BACKGROUND To improve asthma control and reduce readmission rates through increased knowledge and the development of self management skills, a brief (three hour) adult education programme was developed. METHODS The course was designed to improve inhaler skills and to teach how to adjust drug doses according to peak flow (PEF) measurements and a treatment plan. It was evaluated in a randomised...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of asthma is based on several characteristics including symptoms and suitable tests of airway lability. However, it is neither clear to what degree various tests and symptoms identify the same subjects, nor how these characteristics are best combined to diagnose asthma. The interrelationships between physician-diagnosed asthma, asthma-like symptoms, and abnormal airway ...

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring is recommended in asthma guidelines as a tool for assessing severity, monitoring response to treatment, detecting exacerbations, identifying triggers, and providing objective justification for treatment to the patient, but some clinicians have expressed concerns about its relevance in the management of asthma. We have identified a sevenfold variation in the...

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring is recommended in asthma guidelines as a tool for assessing severity, monitoring response to treatment, detecting exacerbations, identifying triggers, and providing objective justification for treatment to the patient, but some clinicians have expressed concerns about its relevance in the management of asthma. We have identified a sevenfold variation in the...

Introduction: Ramadan is the 9th  Islamic lunar month during which Muslims avoid eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.  The effect of Ramadan intermittent fasting on asthma control is controversial.  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Ramadan fasting on the spirometric variables and clinical symptoms on well-controlled asthmatic patients during Ramadan. Material and M...