[Study of peak expiratory flow in 728 normal adolescents in Chengdu area].
OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to build the normal values and regression equations of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in normal adolescents.


METHODS
PEF and routine ventilatory functions, FVC, V75, V50, V25 were measured in 728 normal adolescents aged 8-19.


RESULTS
The PEF and FVC, V75, V50, V25 rose with the increase of age. The regression equations showed that PEF was highly positively correlated with age and FVC both in male and female adolescents, and also positively correlated with body weight in males; the coefficients of multiple correlation were 0.85 and 0.78 in male and female ones respectively. Correlations of PEF with V75, V50, V25 were also high, especially with V75 of which the correlation coefficients came up to 0.98 both in male and female adolescents. The coefficients of variation were 15%-20% both in male and female adolescents, and were in normal ranges.


CONCLUSIONS
The normal ranges and regression equations of PEF provided for normal adolescents can be used to evaluate the pulmonary functions of patients who are in the same age-group suffering from bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Huang
G
G
Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, WCUMS, Chengdu 610041, China.
Liu
G
G
Huang
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008449:Maximal Expiratory Flow-Volume Curves; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D012016:Reference Values; D012119:Respiration; D014797:Vital Capacity