| Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate |
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Information AboutErythrocyte Sedimentation Rate |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE | |
| blood tests | |
| hematology | |
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To perform the test, anticoagulated blood is placed in an upright tube and the rate at which the Red Blood Cell s fall is measured and reported in ''mm/h''. When an inflammatory process is present, the high proportion of Fibrinogen in the blood causes red blood cells to stick to each other. The red cells form stacks called ''rouleaux'' which settle faster. The ESR is increased by any cause or focus of inflammation. The basal ESR is slightly higher in females. This test was invented in 1897 by the Polish doctor, Edmund Biernacki . In 1918 another scientist - Fahraeus declared the same. Fahraeus is still known as the inventor of ESR in the Western world although Fahraeus accepted that he wasn't the first. USES The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is generally not used alone to make a diagnosis. Rather it is often used in combination with other clinical parameters. The ESR is notably elevated in diseases such as Temporal Arteritis , e.g. it may exceed 100 mm/hour in some cases. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) can also be used to assess response to therapy in certain inflammatory diseases such as Temporal Arteritis , Polymyalgia Rheumatica , Rheumatoid Arthritis . It can also be used as a crude measure of response in Hodgkin's Disease . NORMAL VALUES Adults (Westergren method): Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr. Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr. Children (Westergren method): Newborn: 0 to 2 mm/hr. Neonatal to puberty: 3 to 13 mm/hr. Note: mm/hr. = millimeters per hour. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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