The knowledge of respiratory therapists of Tunja (Colombia) about peak flow measurement, with an intervention proposal
Conocimientos sobre picoflujometría en terapeutas respiratorias de Tunja, Boyacá, y propuesta de intervención
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Background: Peak flow measurement is a technique that enables professionals to determine the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), in order to assess severity in cases of obstruction and to aid in the follow-up of the asthmatic patient. Its use by respiratory therapists is assumed to be very frequent in both outpatient and inpatient facilities.
Objective: To assess the knowledge of respiratory therapy professionals of the city of Tunja about peak flow measurement.
Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study. A structured instrument consisting of 20 multiple-choice, single response questions was applied to 40 respiratory therapists working in Tunja. The questionnaire addressed physiological, technical, and interpretive aspects of peak flow measurement. It was answered anonymously and individually.
Results: The average mark was 2,72 +/- 0,495 (n=40), on a numerical scale ranging from 0.0 to 5.0. The only aspect of peak flow measurement about which the subjects proved to be sufficiently knowledgeable was the technical, with an average mark of 3,28 +/- 0,87; their knowledge on the physiologic and interpretive aspects reached average marks of 2,72 +/- 0,775 and 2,49 +/- 0,797, respectively.
Conclusions: There is evidence of a low degree of knowledge about peak flow measurement. The importance of this technique in the follow-up of asthmatic patients is unknown in the local milieu, since it has not yet been implemented in these patients. Passing grades in technical aspects reflect very technical procedures in the professional practice of the subjects. The interpretive aspect is the weakest of the study group. This can be related to weak physiological knowledge that impairs their ability to establish clinical correlations. We propose an intervention strategy to address the problem.
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