ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE(ESR)

AIM:  Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is used determine the rate of fall (Sedimentation) of red blood cell (RBC) in a given time. 

Principle: When blood is out of the body in a tube with anticoagulants and the tube made to stand  perfectly, vertically undisturbed, the red blood cells by virtue of their size and mass and under the influence of gravity, gradually sediments to the bottom f the tube.

Materials:

1.       Blood Sample

2.       Sodium citrate solution

3.       EDTA bottle

4.       Timer

5.       Western green tube and stand

6.       Syringe

7.       Swab

8.       Tourniquet

Procedure:

After swabbing, collect about 4ml of blood from the patient through the vein and dispense it into an EDTA container, then mix the sample with 2ml of Sodium citrate.

Place a capillary tube in the mixture and allow it to flow in through capillary action until it reach the level marked (O) zero, on the Western green tube or use a syringe to inject the mixture into the tube and allow it to stand for 1 hour to sediment.

Result:

After an hour, the calibrated tube is read using the level of the red sediment. Normal value of ESR by western green method is

 Male: 3 to 7mm/hr

Female: 5to 9mm/hr

Infant: 0 to 2mm/hr

Discussion:

ESR is an indirect measure of the level of inflammation in the body.  It is used to identify if a patient is responding to treatment of not. A common cause f high ESR is anemia.

 Conclusion:

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a non-specific test because it does not reveal where the inflammation is in the body. It also increases with age. Female has a higher value than male.