Letter to the Editor
Abstract
Journal of Asthma, 33(1), 73 (1 996) Letter to the Editor - The following is a letter from a reader regarding "Exercised-Induced Asthma in the Athlete," by Nastasi et al., in Journal o Asthma 32 f ( ) 249-257 (1995). welcomeyour response. 4: We Dear Editor: The author has presented a fine summary of exercised-inducedasthma in the athlete. However, I would disagree with two important points on page 251. The authors note "routine spirometryor peak flow measurementsshould be the first diagnostic test to rule out baseline bronchial obstruction provided that a trial of preexercise medication is not used. The peak flow alone is often not adequate for the diagnosis of EIA. The authors quote a study in which 14 to 19 patients would have been missed is expiratory flow was used alone. I would point out that extensive studies including morethan 4000 children by Keeley (Thorax, 1991) and f Bardagi (American Review o Respiratoy Disease, 1993)as well as studiesby Williams (Archivesof Diseases o Children, 1993)highlight the utility f and reliability of the expiratory flow in diagnosing exercise-induced asthma in large screening programs. In terms of practicality, it is still the test of choice in the field. Additionally, the