[Compliance with and acceptability of a new electronic peak flow meter, the PiKo-1].
BACKGROUND
Monitoring airflow obstruction is an essential component of asthma management. We examined home recording of PEFR using a new electronic peak flow meter in terms of compliance and acceptability in a group of children with asthma.


METHODS
Twenty three children (3 with intermittent asthma and 20 with persistent asthma) (average age 10.9 +/- 3.8 [5-18] yrs) were asked to assess their PEFR every day during a period of 5.8 +/- 1.2 [4-8] weeks and record it in a diary card. Patients were not aware that their data was also being stored on the PiKo-1. At the end of the study, the written data were compared to the stored data. A multiple choice questionnaire was given to each subjectto check the acceptability of the PiKo-1.


RESULTS
2 patients were lost to follow up. The compliance (expressed as a percent of the number of recordings that should have been made) was more that 80% for 14/21(67%) patients and less than 45% for 3/21 (14%). Compliance decreased during the study (96% in the first week, 68% during the fifth). 12% of the values were falsified. The PiKo-1 was considered to be small, attractive and useful. Some children found the mouthpiece too small.


CONCLUSIONS
The good results for compliance that we observed might have been due to the short duration of the study. PiKo-1 was well accepted by the subjects. It will be possible to monitor PEFR and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration at home using this new device.
Meuric
S
S
Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Boulogne Billancourt, Université de Versailles-Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France.
Leroy
M
M
Raffestin
B
B
Bidat
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors