Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1993 Mar;48(3):249–253. doi: 10.1136/thx.48.3.249

Relation between response to exercise and diurnal variability of peak expiratory flow in primary school children.

T Frischer 1, J Kühr 1, R Meinert 1, W Karmaus 1, J Forster 1, R Urbanek 1
PMCID: PMC464362  PMID: 8497824

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Variability in peak expiratory flow (PEF) has been proposed as a simple method of screening for asthma in epidemiological studies. This study was designed to assess whether the bronchial response to exercise and the diurnal variation in PEF identified the same subjects. METHODS: Bronchial response to a free running exercise test was assessed in a cohort of 918 seven year old children and was compared with variability of PEF as assessed by twice daily recordings for a one week period. Mini Wright peak flow meters were used throughout the study. RESULTS: Baseline PEFs of both tests were highly correlated but there was no significant correlation between a response to exercise and variability of PEF. Of 33 children with a physician's diagnosis of asthma, 18 had at least one abnormal test, but only five children were abnormal in both tests, showing that the tests did not identify the same subjects. CONCLUSION: Increased variability of PEF, as well as a response to exercise, was associated with respiratory symptoms, but only a response to exercise was closely associated with atopy (defined as a positive skin test to any of seven aero-allergens).

Full text

PDF
249

Images in this article

252Image
on p.252

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson S. D. Current concepts of exercise-induced asthma. Allergy. 1983 Jul;38(5):289–302. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1983.tb04122.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Backer V., Dirksen A., Bach-Mortensen N., Hansen K. K., Laursen E. M., Wendelboe D. The distribution of bronchial responsiveness to histamine and exercise in 527 children and adolescents. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1991 Jul;88(1):68–76. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(91)90302-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chatham M., Bleecker E. R., Smith P. L., Rosenthal R. R., Mason P., Norman P. S. A comparison of histamine, methacholine, and exercise airway reactivity in normal and asthmatic subjects. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Aug;126(2):235–240. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.2.235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clifford R. D., Radford M., Howell J. B., Holgate S. T. Prevalence of atopy and range of bronchial response to methacholine in 7 and 11 year old schoolchildren. Arch Dis Child. 1989 Aug;64(8):1126–1132. doi: 10.1136/adc.64.8.1126. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clough J. B., Hutchinson S. A., Williams J. D., Holgate S. T. Airway response to exercise and methacholine in children with respiratory symptoms. Arch Dis Child. 1991 May;66(5):579–583. doi: 10.1136/adc.66.5.579. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cockcroft D. W. Airway hyperresponsiveness: therapeutic implications. Ann Allergy. 1987 Dec;59(6):405–414. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frischer T., Studnicka M., Neumann M., Götz M. Determinants of airway response to challenge with distilled water in a population sample of children aged 7 to 10 years old. Chest. 1992 Sep;102(3):764–770. doi: 10.1378/chest.102.3.764. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Higgins B. G., Britton J. R., Chinn S., Jones T. D., Jenkinson D., Burney P. G., Tattersfield A. E. The distribution of peak expiratory flow variability in a population sample. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1989 Nov;140(5):1368–1372. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/140.5.1368. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lau S., Falkenhorst G., Weber A., Werthmann I., Lind P., Buettner-Goetz P., Wahn U. High mite-allergen exposure increases the risk of sensitization in atopic children and young adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1989 Nov;84(5 Pt 1):718–725. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90300-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pattemore P. K., Asher M. I., Harrison A. C., Mitchell E. A., Rea H. H., Stewart A. W. The interrelationship among bronchial hyperresponsiveness, the diagnosis of asthma, and asthma symptoms. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1990 Sep;142(3):549–554. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/142.3.549. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pullan C. R., Hey E. N. Wheezing, asthma, and pulmonary dysfunction 10 years after infection with respiratory syncytial virus in infancy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Jun 5;284(6330):1665–1669. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6330.1665. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Quackenboss J. J., Lebowitz M. D., Krzyzanowski M. The normal range of diurnal changes in peak expiratory flow rates. Relationship to symptoms and respiratory disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Feb;143(2):323–330. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/143.2.323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ronchetti R., Lucarini N., Lucarelli P., Martinez F., Macrì F., Carapella E., Bottini E. A genetic basis for heterogeneity of asthma syndrome in pediatric ages: adenosine deaminase phenotypes. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1984 Jul;74(1):81–84. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(84)90092-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ryan G., Latimer K. M., Dolovich J., Hargreave F. E. Bronchial responsiveness to histamine: relationship to diurnal variation of peak flow rate, improvement after bronchodilator, and airway calibre. Thorax. 1982 Jun;37(6):423–429. doi: 10.1136/thx.37.6.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Silverman M., Anderson S. D. Standardization of exercise tests in asthmatic children. Arch Dis Child. 1972 Dec;47(256):882–889. doi: 10.1136/adc.47.256.882. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Smith C. M., Anderson S. D. Inhalational challenge using hypertonic saline in asthmatic subjects: a comparison with responses to hyperpnoea, methacholine and water. Eur Respir J. 1990 Feb;3(2):144–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tsanakas J. N., Bannister O. M., Boon A. W., Milner R. D. The 'Sport-tester': a device for monitoring the free running test. Arch Dis Child. 1986 Sep;61(9):912–914. doi: 10.1136/adc.61.9.912. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tsanakas J. N., Milner R. D., Bannister O. M., Boon A. W. Free running asthma screening test. Arch Dis Child. 1988 Mar;63(3):261–265. doi: 10.1136/adc.63.3.261. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wilson N. M. Wheezy bronchitis revisited. Arch Dis Child. 1989 Aug;64(8):1194–1199. doi: 10.1136/adc.64.8.1194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Zach M., Polgar G., Kump H., Kroisel P. Cold air challenge of airway hyperreactivity in children: practical application and theoretical aspects. Pediatr Res. 1984 May;18(5):469–478. doi: 10.1203/00006450-198405000-00016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES