Peak flow

[Izzie4]

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice on what a normal peak flow reading for an 8 year old boy who is 52” tall? He was just diagnosed yesterday so it’s all new!

Thanks

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

According to online the predicted for a 52” child is 267 ( slideshare.net/mobile/kodon... - 3rd slide). They don’t differentiate for gender or age.

These are the ‘predicted’ scores however they are very unreliable as there are lots of variables in best PF (and in kids possibly even more so). The key thing is to get his ‘best score’ so you can compare to it. Finding the best score can take time (and practice)... it took me 2 years to get my best (was uncontrolled at the time and had never done one pre loosing control).

For example my predicted is 440 but my best is 630. I have severe asthma which was uncontrolled for 4 years. My friend with no resp condition had same predicted score as me but can barely hit 350. This shows that being high or lower than the average doesn’t actually mean very much. You have to compare to yourself...

Hope that helps and that he is well x

[Izzie4 in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks for your reply!

So if his predicted score is 265 and we are only getting between 120 and 160 that is ok? X

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Izzie4]

It’s hard to say if he’s only just been diagnosed so doesn’t have a ‘best’. If he takes 2xvent does it go up?

[Izzie4 in reply to EmmaF91]

Yeah it does go up a bit but I can’t help worry that it’s quite low readings.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Izzie4]

If he’s not having issues and can do what he wants (eat, chat normally, run about) without having problems then you don’t need to worry. If he’s complaining or not able to do stuff he wants to do normally (ie at full speed) then try not to worry but give vent and if that doesn’t help call 111/999 (depending on if you think he’s struggling to breathe). PF best varies dramatically for lots of reasons.

For his and your benefit it’s worth booking in to see your GP asthma nurse for more info/help. Also AUK have a good website ( asthma.org.uk/advice/child/ ) and a helpline you can call with your questions (0300 222 5800)

[Izzie4 in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you so much, you’ve put my mind to rest.

I will book him in with the asthma nurse and also look into the website 😊

[Hidden]

What did his doctor say? There’s a chart of averages based on size but it’s just an average.

You really need to follow your child’s doctor’s instructions. He or she might have all sorts of reasons for saying something different than we might.

[Izzie4 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply.

His doctor didn’t say much at all, I kind of felt we were just rushed out the door without even being shown how to use his inhaler. Also given a peak flow meter and told to take 3 readings 3 tones a day for 3 weeks then go back to see him. 🤷‍♀️

[Hidden in reply to Izzie4]

I really do think that’s your answer, then. His use of the peak flow meter for the next three weeks isn’t about monitoring the asthma. It’s about establishing a baseline. Your doctor will use this information along things like a chart to form a first opinion of what his peak flow might be.

When I did this several years ago it looked as if my peak flow was 500. Since I’m female, 5’6” and 70, that was really high. Then as we found more effective meds for me, it rose to 580, absurdly high. But that was important information, as it confirmed that I had asthma with no COPD.

Dealing with asthma can be a slow process. I know you were frustrated, but he probably can’t tell you much yet. It’s not diabetes, where there are clear guidelines for how much insulin to use and when. Asthma is highly individual.

So record those peak flow readings consistently. In my opinion it would be useful to note anything going on in his life, including exercise. In some people, exercise can trigger an asthma exacerbation.

One of my major triggers turned out to be traffic jams!