PFM colour coding

[EmmaF91]

So I’ve mentioned this a few times on here, but due to the excitement of the junior in rapids on seeing it (he took a pic to show he’s friends) I thought I’d post an image!

I (like most) struggle to do maths/work out zones when my asthmas really bad. Simple solution - get 3 (or 4) sharpie pens and colour in your zones! It doesn’t affect PFM score, and you can personalise it to your best PF (not predicted). Green for green zone (70/80%+ depending on your asthma plan), yellow/amber for yellow zone (50/60% - 70/80% depending on plan) and red for red zone (50/60% or lower). I also use a black zone for under 30%. In times of trouble (or when in hosp with medics who don’t know your best score) it’s easy for everyone - blow and check the colour!!!

[Hidden]

This is such a great idea! My personal best is around 500, so when it drops it still could be quite high even though I’m in the danger zone according to my asthma plan, I’ve made it clear to all my family and all my colleagues at work that if I ever need emergency medical attention to ensure that they give them my asthma plan so that the paramedics/doctors etc can see what my numbers are supposed to be, but this is such a fab idea! Such a quick and easy way for everyone to see exactly how it’s doing!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

That was my thinking. My predicted is 440 but my best is 630! It used to cause a few issues but when I do go in to hosp with my PFM there’s no real quibbling about which zone I’m in (plus no-one has to work out percentages!) 😅

It’s such an easy thing to do (and if you can’t use the sharpies due to fumes anyone else can easily do it for you! Just give them your numbers!)

Every time a doc/nurse/para has seen it they’ve commented that it’s a great idea. Apparently they’ve just started developing ‘really expensive’ PFMs which look exactly the same, but they’re based on the averages 🙄. Only know this cause someone thought mine was one of there new expensive ones 😂... no that’s my own artwork and personal boundaries thank you very much 🤣. I like to think the idea came from me tho cause I was doing it first 😂

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Ugh I hope I never encounter one if the ones using averages - seems like a step backwards as they should know by now to use best and LISTEN to patients!

I felt like that with my asthma summary and the 'passport' developed by the hosp I go to lol. Mine was basically what they had thoigh less convenient (theirs is a card) and everyone thinks mine is official.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Lysistrata]

Same here with my summary ‘who made this up for you?’ ‘Errr... I did’ 😂

Same here for avoiding these ‘new’ PFM!

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

Sounds so much easier in an emergency, and everyone who sees you can know exactly how you’re doing, and like you said no need to do any maths! I didn’t know about them doing these new ones! Good idea in principle but I can’t see how they’d really be much help though as I don’t believe there are many asthmatics that actually fit into the normal/average categories so the boundaries would be useless! X

[clareasthma]

Such a great idea. I have minor dyslexia and can't manage technical info when ill (colour coding is awesome) & different medical people will interpret peak flow readings differently, & in A&E that's a nightmare if disconnected varied skilled people are interpreting my info differently & I can't exactly explain myself when my lungs don't work/can't talk and I can't think!

What's a normal peak flow for one person is very different for another .

So for me this is amazing idea & I love colouring!!

I'm also compiling a summary asthma record, so I don't cart around my main record folder when seeing other care/emergency & I take your point about sharing my info with family, who can be my voice when needed.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to clareasthma]

I too have a summary for hospitals with all my info on it (docs/paras love it cause they don’t have to ask me questions when I can’t breathe 😅). Got it down to 2 double sided a4 sheets and have the answers to all the usual questions plus general advice about me (severe difficult asthma so I can be a little bit of an oddity). Also a useful way of tracking pred/AB use plus appts/admissions (esp if you’re like me and forget very quickly 😅). Definitely worth doing if you find you’re in and out often, or if you’re a bit unusual!!!

[Dpotter]

On an old pfm I had it came with colour coded plastic markers that you attached to show the different zones. Haven't had one like that for years though.

[Tree20862 in reply to Dpotter]

My lung doctor uses one like that as a disposible! I bring mine home

[LDloveslattecoffe]

Hi EmmaF91

My best is 420 (I think predicted around 450).

The %thing doesn't work for me.

Based on experience :

GREEN

I class self as ok if 350 or above

YELLOW

300 - 350

RED

250 - 300

My BLACK

Under 250 - never gone below 250

Mind you my first ever trip A&E sent by GP before Christmas PF would not go above 300 but was around that mark. Was symptoms had to be nebulised.

Use PF to help but I like the new Smart plans which include symptoms it's Either PF or symptoms

Ps

Was 19 diagnosed and 48 now - personal best has never gone above 450

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to LDloveslattecoffe]

As I tried to state I know everyone’s zones are different, I was just pointing out the commonly used boundaries advised by AUK but your boundaries should be on your action plan so you just copy them across 😅.

Not everyone has a PF that drops full stop, but for those that do use it as an indicator this can be helpful (it is 1 factor for monitoring as asthma, but like having an audible wheeze not everyone has it). This post was just to show an easy way to accessories your PF so it’s personal to you (ie your best and your boundaries) so 1 you don’t have to do maths/remember if your bad, and 2 medics can see your zones easily.

Black it only 30-33% as that is what the hospital will officially class as a life-threatening attack (same is in hospital it’s a severe attack of its at 50% or lower is classed as acute severe but this is only 1 factor they take into consideration amount a plethora of others where you only need to show 1 of any of them). So for me that’s the 30% is the ‘get your butt to hospital stop pissing about’ level as I am already on maintence steroids (the levels which I can change basically unsupervised) and I have a home nebuliser.

I hope that makes sense and explains the boundaries I quoted (but as I said you should just copy boundaries across from your plan) 😅

[LDloveslattecoffe in reply to EmmaF91]

Hi EmmaF91, yep I got that wasn't contradicting you hun,

What I was just saying the percentages 70%, 30% on my plan based on my best PF number are higher than what I was saying my experience tells me if that makes sense so can be harder to get professionals to take seriously as according to PF I'm in Green or yellow but in my feeling is lower than Green /yellow which is why I like they added symptoms on Smart plan x

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to LDloveslattecoffe]

Ha. No worries... sorry if I’ve come across a bit defensive 😅🤦‍♀️🤺🤼‍♀️🥊😂. I currently have a massive pred head on and running on 0 sleep as hosp decided to give me 40mg pred at 10PM last night, after 30mg at home in the morning and 100 hydro around 6PM ish so brain isn’t working at full capacity 😅😒. They’re about to give me another 40mg now so... 😬

In hospitals you can point out that PF isn’t an accurate measurement for you (tho depending on the doc that may or may not help 🙄) - as I said PF is just 1 indication they should base a decision around. My docs have to rely on wheeze(when it actually appears which isn’t always) and PF with me solely because I cannot ‘feel’ my asthma until I am in danger. I don’t even feel tight til I’m around my 50%, and can ignore SoB until I’m 30-40% by which time I’m getting a silent chest 😅. But I can be a textbook asthmatic on examination other than that which is a bit of a blessing (other when I exacerbate without a wheeze and just get silent chest 🤦‍♀️), I understand the frustration of someone’s really focused on PF when that isn’t an accurate measure for you!

Use the numbers that you plan is based about, if you want to use the colour technique 😉

[Shellc]

That’s a good idea , don’t think it’s worth doing mine as my best is 140 lol, I don’t have much reserve at all but that’s also because I have bronchiectasis too and lung damage

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Shellc]

😅 - you could have a dinky Rasta look 😂. Out of interest do you use the adult PFM or or the low range one?

[Shellc in reply to EmmaF91]

Lol adult

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Shellc]

Very dinky Rasta then 😝