During a routine check-up, a 35-year-old female patient with a history of asthma reports increased use of her rescue inhaler. The medical assistant decides to measure her peak expiratory flow rate. Which of the following steps is crucial before instructing the patient on how to perform the test?
Establish the patient's 'personal best' peak expiratory flow by finding the highest reading from previous measurements.
Explain the connection between bronchodilator usage and increased peak flow rate readings.
Discuss with the patient her most recent spirometry results to predict her peak expiratory flow rate.
Ensure the peak flow meter is set to zero before the patient takes her measurement.
Before a patient performs a peak flow rate test, it is crucial to establish a baseline or personal best measurement. The 'personal best' peak flow is generally determined by taking the highest reading from a series of measurements (usually taken over two to three weeks when asthma is well-controlled). Having this personal best value is essential for comparing future readings and making decisions about the patient's asthma management. Incorrectly setting the meter to zero does not establish a patient's personal best but is a preparation step for the device. Discussing spirometry results instead of peak flow rate measurements is not relevant to establishing a baseline for future peak flow rate comparisons. Explaining the connection between bronchodilators and peak flow rate might be part of patient education but is not the correct answer to establishing a baseline peak flow rate.
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