Mathematical Behavior of MEFV Curves in Childhood Asthma and the Role of Curvature in Quantifying Flow Obstruction
Figure 5
Physical model of maximal expiratory flow over the descending limb of the MEFV curve and resulting second derivative, . Curves illustrate the influence of increasing the net resistance, , through parameter , on (a) the descending phase of the MEFV curve and on (b) the second derivative of the MEFV curve. As the net resistance increases, the descending limb reaches higher degrees of curvature and the profile of shifts away from the abscissa towards higher values. Details on the choice of parameters are given in the text.
