Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

General

Synonym/Acronym:
Sed rate, ESR.

Rationale
To assist in diagnosing acute infection in diseases such as tissue necrosis, chronic infection, and acute inflammation.

Patient Preparation
There are no food, fluid, activity, or medication restrictions unless by medical direction.

Normal Findings
Method: Westergren or modified Westergren.

AgeMaleFemale
Newborn0–2 mm/hr0–2 mm/hr
Less than 50 yr0–15 mm/hr0–25 mm/hr
50 yr and older0–20 mm/hr0–30 mm/hr

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions
N/A

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.