Thousands of asthma sufferers in the West Midlands could be receiving the wrong treatment because of false readings from meters used to monitor the condition. Medical experts at Birmingham University have been carrying out a study for the past 18 months with colleagues from the University of Aarhus in Denmark. It has now been revealed that between five and ten per cent of measurements taken from peak flow meters, which measure lung flow, could be misleading. Dr Martin Miller of Birmingham University's School of Medicine, who is leading the study, said asthma sufferers may be receiving wrong medical advice and treatment due to the incorrect measurements. He said: "People could be adjusting their treatment inappropriately. "They might be doubling their inhaler dose or taking a course of tablet steroids when their asthma condition does not warrant it. "Others might not be getting courses of tablets when they do need them." Dr Miller said there were potential side-effects in increasing asthma doses, from soreness of the mouth and a hoarse voice with an inhaler to putting on weight or thinning bones on tablets. And there was also a potential life-threatening risk, he added. "One of the criteria for admitting or releasing people from hospital is the reading from a peak flow meter, so someone could potentially make a bad judgement," he added. "The impact of using meters giving incorrect readings can be enormous and significantly affect treatment decisions, such as whether an asthma patient requires hospital admission or is safe to discharge from hospital." Scientists at Birmingham and Aarhus have now drawn up a new European Union standard for testing meters which should soon prevent inaccurate devices from being available. Designs He said many brands of meter still in use are based on designs from the late 1950s. "Patients should continue to use their current peak flow meters and consult their GPs if they have any concerns," Dr Miller added. * An estimated five per cent of the UK population have asthma, with a higher figure among children. | 
