Growth and other factors affecting peak expiratory flow in Greek children.
OBJECTIVE
The estimation of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in children is a very easy and practical way to check lung function and helps in the diagnosis, treatment follow-up and evaluation of the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


METHODS
Using a Mini-Wright flowmeter (Clement Clarke International Ltd, England), we studied the Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) of 7,067 healthy Greek children of age range 6-17 years. All the children have a height ranging between mean value+/-2 Standard Deviations for age and sex.


RESULTS
The results were correlated with age, weight, height and triceps skinfold thickness. The mean value of PEF was higher in boys than in girls at all ages, except from the age of 12-13 years. Our results have shown a very strong relationship between PEF and age up to the age of 11 years (P<0.005) but we didn't find such a relationship in older children as regards PEF and height (P<0.001). No positive correlation between PEF and weight or between PEF and triceps skinfold, was found (P > or =0.05). Moreover, a considerable difference in PEF values was found in the various groups of every age and sex according to height.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that height should always be considered in order to estimate PEF value. The values of this study (mean and percentiles) were compared to those of other studies. Finally, we recommend that the results of this study should be used as standards for Greek children.
1st Pediatric Clinic, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece. aivazis@med,auth.gr
V
V
Aivazis
A
A
Hatzimichail
J
J
Stavridis
E
E
Bourli
T H
TH
Konstantinidis
V
V
Katsougiannopoulos
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012885:Skinfold Thickness