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Peak flow is a simple measurement of how quickly you can blow air out of your lungs. its often used to help diagnose and monitor asthma.
A peak flow test involves blowing as hard as you can into a small handheld device called a peak flow meter. These are available on prescription or can be bought from most pharmacies.
Why peak flow is measured ?
by measuring how fast you're able to breathe out, your peak flow score can indicate whether your airways are narrowed. This could be a sign you have asthma, although other tests such as spirometry will often be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
if you've already been diagnosed with asthma, measuring your peak flow regularly can be a useful way of monitoring your condition.
How to measure your peak flow ?
Find a comfortable position, either sitting or standing.
Reset your peak flow meter so the pointer is pushed back to the first line of the scale- this is usually 60.
Hold the peak flow meter so it's horizontal and make sure that your fingers are not obstructing the measurement scale.
Breathe in as deeply as you can and place your lips tightly around the mouthpiece
Breathe out as quickly and as hard as you can
When you've finished breathing out, make a note of your reading
This should be repeated 3 times, and the highest of the 3 measurements should be recorded as your peak flow score.
Read the illustrated guides to Measuring peak expiratory flow on ClinicalSkills.net here
You will need to be logged into ClinicalSkills.net to use these pages: Go to ClinicalSkills.net, click login at the top, enter your user name and password. You must have set up your account to do this. For further information on how to login to your ClinicalSkills.net account please click here: How to Login to ClinicalSkills.net
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Click on the button below to navigate to the 'Take a Test' area of ClinicalSkills.net. Please make sure you're logged into ClinicalSkills.net already, otherwise you may not be able to open and take the test. Once you have reached the 'Take a Test' area, select 'Local Tests' and then click on the test called 'Measuring Peak Expiratory Flow' to begin. You will need to score 80% or more to pass. Make sure you've read the ClinicalSkills.net procedure thoroughly before taking the test as many of the answers will be found within there!
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Other Materials
Other Materials
www.asthma.org.uk/advice/manage-your-asthma/peak-flow/.
Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Procedures (9th Edition): Peak Flow- Page 498- 502
Date reviewed:
Next review: August 2023
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