PEFR
Last reviewed 01/2018
The PEFR is the maximum rate of airflow that can be achieved during a sudden forced expiration form a position of full inspiration.
The good points about PEFR are:
- the PEFR reflects the calibre of the airways and is most useful for day-to-day monitoring of asthma
- the PEFR device is cheap and convenient
The bad points about PEFR are that the value depends on:
- effort
- technique
Also PEFR is a measure of airflow and cannot detect restrictive ventilatory defects, such as those caused by pulmonary fibrosis, since these reduce lung volume but do not affect airflow (1).
Click here to download the normal adult values chart
Click here to download the normal paediatric values chart
Reference:
- The Practitioner 2005; 249:180-88.