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| Investigation | : | Erythrocyte Sedimenatation Rate (ESR) | ||||||||||
| Specimen type | : | EDTA | ||||||||||
| Spec container | : | EDTA | ||||||||||
| Volume required | : | 4 ml | ||||||||||
| MALE Ref range | : | 2 - 10 mm in 1 hour | ||||||||||
| FEMALE Ref range | : | 2 - 19 mm in 1 hour | ||||||||||
| Turnaround | : | <4 hours | ||||||||||
1.5ml EDTA blood is required to perform a full blood count and ESR on the same sample.
When anticoagulated blood is allowed to stand undisturbed, the red cells sediment. The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) is primarily a non-specific test for the screening of different pathologies associated with acute or chronic inflammation. In pathological conditions the blood undergoes changes, and the concentration of acute phase proteins such as fibrinogen and IgM increase in plasma. The ESR is also dependent on the viscosity of the plasma, red cell factors, physical influences and technical variables.
The ESR is helpful in diagnosing two specific inflammatory diseases, temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. A high ESR is one of the main test results used to confirm the diagnosis. It is also used to monitor disease activity and response to therapy in both of these diseases.
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