On ESA had my atos examination today

Anubis_2

It might have been an older peak flow as opposed to the EN one, as one gives higher results than the other http://www.peakflow.com/portal_nav/patient/index.html

500 and 650 are very good readings and both within normal ranges depending on your freinds age, so that reading would make little difference. My peak flow is 150.

Here is a chart http://www.peakflow.com/top_nav/normal_values/index.html

DanielClark

the flow meter the doctor used didn't look like any of those, it was box shaped and made out of gray plastic and had a white scale down the side. the numbers on the side were identical to his own though, 60-800.

CountryGuy

DanielClark wrote: »

a friend of mine was dragged up in front of one of these assessments a few days ago, he asked me to go with him as moral support. it seemed to be a pretty stressful thing for him, and he got quite agitated. the "doctor" (for the want of a better word(I don't know what this mans qualficiations were)) then seemed to take the agitation and anxiety and turn it into some sort of act of rudeness, at which both my friend and myself were taken aback.

one of the tests he was asked to take was a peak flow test for his asthma. seeing that he's been monitoring his peak flow for a few years now, he is aware of what his normal range is (about 500). on the day of the examination, he did his peak flow and I was told he had recorded it at around 490. at the examination, he was asked to perform the test again, this time with a different model of peak flow meter, but with the same number scale, and BOOM! out of nowhere, he scored over 650.

I saw the look of surprise on his face, but I didn't know what the problem was.

he queried the test result, and the "doctor" sat upright in his chair, gave him a cold hard stare and asked in a rather blunt manner "what are you insinuating???!!!", to which my friend repsonded that he wasn't insinuating, or implying anything. he just can't understand how he can go from an average of 500, then have it jump up to 650 just like that. the doc just shrugged his shoulders and said that the meter showed the result correctly, and that was what he was going to enter into the computer.

when we got home, my friend took the test again on his own peak flow meter, and it was back to about 500, maybe a little more. definitely nowhere near 650.

might be a bit of good advice for any asthmatics going to one of these things to take your own peak flow meters, or anything like that if you use them, from what I witnessed, I think there is something highly dubious going on with the equipment ATOS use.

Wow I'm impressed with his 500 peak flow :T

I'm lucky if I get 350 on a good day

I have 2 peak flows and both give different readings. One thing though, they are supposed to take the best reading out of 3.

CountryGuy

Anubis wrote: »

It might have been an older peak flow as opposed to the EN one, as one gives higher results than the other http://www.peakflow.com/portal_nav/patient/index.html

500 and 650 are very good readings and both within normal ranges depending on your freinds age, so that reading would make little difference. My peak flow is 150.

Here is a chart http://www.peakflow.com/top_nav/normal_values/index.html

That is very low, do you have to take steroids?

My mum can't get anything when she blows into one because it triggers her coughing off. I wonder if she ever had to go for a wca (retired so will never happen) if they would record hers as refusing to do one?

DanielClark

CountryGuy wrote: »

Wow I'm impressed with his 500 peak flow :T

I'm lucky if I get 350 on a good day

I have 2 peak flows and both give different readings. One thing though, they are supposed to take the best reading out of 3.

that's another thing I forgot to mention, that was his first attempt, the doc took one look at the reading, his eyes lit up and he said there would be no need for another one.

I can understand there being fluctuations between different models, but just out of curiosity, what is the average difference between yours?

CountryGuy

DanielClark wrote: »

that's another thing I forgot to mention, that was his first attempt, the doc took one look at the reading, his eyes lit up and he said there would be no need for another one.

I can understand there being fluctuations between different models, but just out of curiosity, what is the average difference between yours?

On my old one I struggle to get above 250 but the newer one I can get 350, I even managed 400 on the one at the doctors during my last asthma check. I know I should take notice of the readings but I rarely do. I am supposed to take steroids if it drops below 200. I know when it is low without doing my peak flow by my breathing.

If I was to do one now it would be low, but if I did one in say 1 hour it would be higher.

Is your friend receiving ESA for his asthma alone or does he haveother problems too?

CountryGuy

DanielClark wrote: »

that's another thing I forgot to mention, that was his first attempt, the doc took one look at the reading, his eyes lit up and he said there would be no need for another one.

I can understand there being fluctuations between different models, but just out of curiosity, what is the average difference between yours?

The highest reading would be the only one recorded though so might be as well he didn't do another 2

cit_k

CountryGuy wrote: »

I seriously think it all depends in which area a person lives as to how they are treated in a wca.

It very much does.

Some areas (typically the ones I get assessed in) have dismal rates for finding people fit for work, others get much better results.

read more.

cit_k

DanielClark wrote: »

the flow meter the doctor used didn't look like any of those, it was box shaped and made out of gray plastic and had a white scale down the side. the numbers on the side were identical to his own though, 60-800.

The type of meter must be recorded in the medical report, or its invalidated according to their own rules.

If documenting assessment of Peak Flow it is important that the reader of the report is able to determine from the report the type of meter with which the reading was taken.
Therefore, when documenting Peak Flow, please record in brackets whether a “Wright” or “EU” meter was used, like this:
PFR 450l/min (Wright) or PFR 450(EU)

taken from the latest available esa handbook for assessors

SingleSue

CountryGuy wrote: »

On my old one I struggle to get above 250 but the newer one I can get 350, I even managed 400 on the one at the doctors during my last asthma check. I know I should take notice of the readings but I rarely do. I am supposed to take steroids if it drops below 200. I know when it is low without doing my peak flow by my breathing.

If I was to do one now it would be low, but if I did one in say 1 hour it would be higher.

Is your friend receiving ESA for his asthma alone or does he haveother problems too?

We always take youngest son's peak flow metre with us for his asthma checks or when he has to go into hospital, so they can have a real comparison to his normal.