title: The Peak Flow Working Group: test of portable peak flow meters by explosive decompression.
abstract: In 1991, 50 new Vitalograph peak flow meters and 27 previously used mini-Wright peak flow meters were tested at three peak flows by use of a calibrator applying explosive decompression. The mini-Wright peak flow meters were also compared with eight new meters. For both makes of meter there was an excellent within-meter and between-meter variation. The accuracy, however, was poor, with a maximal overestimation of true flows of 50 and 70 L.min-1 in the interval from 200 to 400 L.min-1 for the Vitalograph and mini-Wright meters, respectively. The deviation is explained by the physical characteristics of the variable orifice peak flow meters. They have been supplied with equidistant scales, which give non-linear readings.
authors.affiliation: University of Aarhus, Dept of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Denmark.
authors.forename: O F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D003664:Decompression; D006801:Humans; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards