Plymat K R, Bunn C L
Nurse Pract. 1985 Aug;10(8):25-7, 47. doi: 10.1097/00006205-198508000-00005.
Clinical assessments of the degree of airway obstruction in asthma are known to be unreliable. Objective measurements of pulmonary function are essential to assessing the severity of asthma. Recently, an inexpensive, portable machine, the Mini-Wright Peak Flow Meter, has become available for clinic and home use. This article describes ways the nurse practitioner can use this meter to improve diagnosis and treatment of asthma. Peak flow measurements can be used to diagnose asthma, and are especially useful in atypical and severe presentations of the disease. Treatment is enhanced by both clinic and home monitoring of response to medications. Regular home monitoring can also improve patients' abilities to provide self-care. Several examples from a case study are given which illustrate the usefulness of home monitoring in medication management, in detection of diurnal variation of the asthma and in the identification of acute illness.
已知哮喘气道阻塞程度的临床评估并不可靠。肺功能的客观测量对于评估哮喘的严重程度至关重要。最近，一种价格低廉、便于携带的仪器——迷你赖特峰流速仪，已可供临床和家庭使用。本文介绍了执业护士可使用该仪器改善哮喘诊断和治疗的方法。峰流速测量可用于诊断哮喘，在该疾病的非典型和严重表现中尤其有用。通过临床和家庭对药物反应的监测可加强治疗。定期的家庭监测还可提高患者自我护理的能力。文中给出了一个案例研究的几个例子，说明了家庭监测在药物管理、检测哮喘的日变化以及识别急性疾病方面的作用。
