What does high ESR mean in a blood test. What is ESR in a blood test? What does the deviation from the norm indicate? Causes of false positive ESR tests

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) is a laboratory analysis that allows you to evaluate the rate of separation of blood into plasma and red blood cells. The essence of the study: erythrocytes are heavier than plasma and leukocytes, therefore, under the influence of gravity, they sink to the bottom of the test tube. In healthy people, erythrocyte membranes are negatively charged and repel each other, which slows down the rate of sedimentation. But during an illness, a number of changes occur in the blood:

Content is increasing fibrinogen, as well as alpha and gamma globulins and C-reactive protein. They accumulate on the surface of erythrocytes and cause them to stick together in the form of coin columns;

Decreased concentration albumin, which prevents erythrocytes from sticking together;

violated blood electrolyte balance. This leads to a change in the charge of red blood cells, due to which they cease to repel.

As a result, red blood cells stick together. Clusters are heavier than individual erythrocytes, they sink to the bottom faster, as a result of which erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases. There are four groups of diseases that cause an increase in ESR:

infections

malignant tumors

rheumatological (systemic) diseases

kidney disease

What you need to know about ESR

The definition is not a specific analysis. ESR can increase with numerous diseases that cause quantitative and qualitative changes in plasma proteins.

In 2% of patients (even with serious diseases), the ESR level remains normal.

ESR increases not from the first hours, but on the 2nd day of the disease.

After illness, ESR remains elevated for several weeks, sometimes months. This is evidence of recovery.

Sometimes ESR rises to 100 mm/hour in healthy people.

ESR rises after eating up to 25 mm / h, so the tests must be taken on an empty stomach.

If the temperature in the laboratory is above 24 degrees, then the erythrocyte bonding process is disrupted and the ESR decreases.

ESR is an integral part of the general blood test.

The essence of the method for determining the erythrocyte sedimentation rate? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the Westergren technique. It is used by modern laboratories to determine the ESR. But in municipal clinics and hospitals, the Panchenkov method is traditionally used. Westergren's method. Mix 2 ml of venous blood and 0.5 ml of sodium citrate, an anticoagulant that prevents blood clotting. The mixture is collected in a thin cylindrical tube up to the level of 200 mm. The test tube is placed vertically in a rack. An hour later, measure in millimeters the distance from the upper border of the plasma to the level of erythrocytes. Often automatic ESR meters are used. ESR unit - mm/hour. Panchenkov's method. Examine capillary blood from a finger. In a glass pipette with a diameter of 1 mm, sodium citrate solution is collected up to the 50 mm mark. It is blown into a test tube. After that, blood is drawn 2 times with a pipette and blown into a test tube to sodium citrate. Thus, a ratio of anticoagulant to blood of 1:4 is obtained. This mixture is collected in a glass capillary to a level of 100 mm and set in a vertical position. The results are evaluated after an hour, as in the Westergren method.

The determination according to Westergren is considered a more sensitive technique, therefore the level of ESR is slightly higher than in the study by the Panchenkov method.

It must be remembered that uncomplicated viral infections do not cause an increase in ESR. This diagnostic sign helps to determine that the disease is caused by bacteria. Therefore, with an increase in ESR, antibiotics are often prescribed. Slow is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 1-4 mm/h. This reaction occurs when the level of fibrinogen responsible for blood clotting decreases. And also with an increase in the negative charge of erythrocytes as a result of changes in the electrolyte balance of the blood. It should be noted that taking these drugs can cause a falsely low ESR result in bacterial infections and rheumatoid diseases.

ESR is a parameter by which it can be determined that an infection has begun in the body. It must be understood that a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate is one hundred percent proof that inflammation is present in the body. Often, a changed value may be the result of other pathologies. It makes no sense to try to influence specifically the value itself: you need to treat the cause of the changes - the disease.

Name designation

Sometimes ESR is called - these names denote the same value. The name "Erythrocyte sedimentation reaction" or abbreviated as "ROE" appeared earlier. By it was meant the process, and not a specific indicator of a blood test. It is for this reason that the common name has been changed.

Bonding or agglutination is the basis of ROE or erythrocyte sedimentation reaction. As a result of this process, the newly formed elements, called "coin columns", being in the defended blood, sink to the very bottom. The size and number of these indivisible units directly affect the rate of the reaction itself.

In the event that for some reason there have been changes in, the gluing process may be accelerated. The most common case of a change in ESR is when the fibrinogen protein and immunoglobulin come into contact with an electric charge on the erythrocyte, thereby changing it.

Fibrinogen is an acute phase element that occurs when body tissues become inflamed and immunoglobulins, also called antibodies, are released to fight viruses, bacteria, or other infectious agents. For this reason, an increased ESR may indicate an inflammatory process.

Changes in the electrochemical composition are also often associated with other pathologies. For example, if the ratio of the plasma phase and formed elements changes, this will have an effect on the blood composition. The reason may lie in non-standard erythrocytes.

Based on the above, a person, having discovered an atypical ESR process, should think about further diagnostics. Of particular importance will be: its quantity allows you to verify the high probability of an inflammatory process.

ESR is measured in mm/hour. The magnitude of the process does not depend on how the parameter is indicated in the analyzes: ROE or ESR:

• In people over the age of 12, the normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate also differs depending on what gender they are. There are no such differences in newborns and children.
• The female part of the population over 12 years of age has an ESR rate if it is between 2 and 20 mm / h. For the male half, the norm is from 2 to 15 mm / h.
• The higher the age of a person, the higher his. Women over the age of sixty can be healthy if the process reaches 30, and in the case of men, it should not exceed 20 mm / h.
• up to two years, regardless of sex, is from 2 to 7, and after twelve years the value should be between 4 and 17 mm / h. The smallest indicator of erythrocyte sedimentation in newborns: it should not exceed 2 mm / h.

In the presence of pathologies, the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) process sometimes jumps in the direction of decreasing or increasing. For this reason, four or five days after the person has received the results of the analysis, it is recommended to repeat the procedure.

Increased rate

There are a number of diseases associated with necrosis and inflammatory processes, in which the content of fibrinogen protein in the blood increases.

These include:

• various bacterial and
• pneumonia,
• dangerous injury,
• bruises,
• fractures,
• myocardial infarction,
• diseases of the liver and kidneys,
• cancer of some tissues.

An increased process of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood can also be due to postoperative conditions and problems with the immune system.

Photos of symptoms of overhydration

Often due to the fact that the ratio of elements or the pH value has changed in the blood. Changes in the structure of red blood cells are also possible.

Diseases that can provoke such situations:

• spherocytosis,
• hyperhydration etc.

In rare cases, a low ESR process may be normal for a person. This is found in vegetarians who adhere to special diets. Apart from meat as such, they do not eat any food that is of animal origin.

There are a number of other possible causes and types of deviations, the conclusions about which only a qualified specialist can draw.

Significant changes in the indicator

In most cases, the body is able to adjust its condition on its own. After an increase in the ESR value in the body, the human body automatically normalizes the affected electrochemical bonds, and also slows down the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in order not to allow the indicator to continue to grow.

Therefore, during the period when a person suffers from any inflammation or infection, the ESR value can reach a high level.

In the event that there have been significant changes in the ESR, and it has become excessively high (80 mm / h or higher), this may indicate the likely presence of two syndromes. The first is paraproteinemic hemoblastosis, the second is a variety of tissue pathologies. Among them, scleroderma and other types of diseases.

Special cases of elevated process

In a number of situations, an increased process of erythrocyte sedimentation rate may be the result of the influence not of any pathology, but of the chronic condition associated with it.

Special cases of an increased process can be observed if a person suffers from a severe stage of obesity, but acute processes do not occur in the body.

A false high ESR also appears if:

• a person takes vitamins of group A;
• the person has recently been vaccinated against hepatitis;
• The person is using oral contraceptives.

In the most rare cases, women may experience an unreasonable increase in the value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In such a situation, neither the race, nor the age, nor the place of residence of the woman affects the indicator.

Determination of ESR according to Westergren

During the years of the existence of the USSR, laboratories used the Panchekov method to determine the ESR. Its advantage was high accuracy, but the studies were carried out one at a time, and in large numbers the method gave false data. Another disadvantage of the Panchekov method was its long duration.

Today, Westergen is becoming more widespread. It is used in most paid Russian laboratories, as well as in Europe.

Despite the numerical value, ESR is a conditional value. Therefore, these methods for determining ESR often give frighteningly different indicators. In Russia today they are still guided by the Panchenkov method. Therefore, if, by contacting the laboratory, a person finds out that the Westergen method is used in it, he is obliged to notify his doctor about this.

Some laboratories, after completing the analysis, bring Westergen's indicators to Panchenkov's indicators.

In addition to the method, at the preanalytical stage, the ESR value can be affected by the storage conditions of the sample taken. For this reason, in some cases, revalidation of analyzes in another laboratory can play an important role.

Video - Erythrocyte sedimentation rate:

ESR or erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a non-specific indicator. It indicates the inflammatory processes occurring in the body. What is the norm of ESR in men? And what are the most common causes of deviation from it?

Let's take a closer look.

ESR units

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate test to confirm symptoms with an unclear or broad etiology. For example, an unexplained increase in body temperature. Also, this diagnostic method is suitable for determining certain types of arthritis and other diseases with ambiguous symptoms.

The specific gravity of erythrocytes is greater than the specific gravity of blood plasma, therefore, during analysis, red blood cells slowly settle to the bottom of the test tube. The sedimentation rate depends on the degree of erythrocyte aggregation. It, in turn, is determined by the protein composition and electrical properties of the plasma.

RBCs are negatively charged and repel each other. An increase in the degree of their aggregation (clumping, grouping) is observed with an increase in the plasma content of acute phase proteins (fibrinogen or immunoglobulins). They are absorbed on the surface of erythrocytes and are a kind of marker of the inflammatory process. In a grouped form, erythrocytes take up less space in the plasma and settle to the bottom of the tube faster.

The distance in millimeters at which cells settled in one hour in a standard test tube is a unit of ESR: mm/hour. In blood test forms, it may be referred to as ESR or ESR. Medical personnel and old-school lab technicians may also use the term ROE.

Causes of increased ESR in the male body

The rate of erythrocyte sedimentation rate can change for several reasons. However, the most common is the presence of an inflammatory focus in the body of a man. Meaning nothing in itself, this indicator can warn about the development of the disease even before the first acute symptoms. Therefore, if detected in the blood, a thorough examination of the body should be carried out.

Where should you start with a health check in the first place?

This test is nonspecific and cannot serve as the only basis for making an unambiguous diagnosis. Yet it is useful in identifying a large group of possible disease states.

There are cases when the norm of ESR in men is reduced. Low values ​​are possible when the body is influenced by factors such as:

• increased blood viscosity;
• reduced fibrinogen level;
• polycythemia;
• Fasting or vegetarianism;
• Hyperhydration;
• low blood protein (kidney or liver disease);
• heart failure.

The norm of ESR in men and the degree of deviation

The rate of erythrocyte sedimentation in men is from 2 to 10 mm/hour. With age, the ESR indicator in men can change, remaining within the age norm. It is known that 5% of absolutely healthy men have, as a variant of the norm, increased rates of erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Table 1. ESR norm in men by age

For convenience, deviations from the normal ESR parameters are usually classified according to the degree:

Grade 1 - a slight deviation from the norm, characterizing changes in blood parameters that are within acceptable limits.

Grade 2 - the indicator differs from the norm by 15-30 units. This signals microcirculatory disorders in the body of a man. For example, about the presence of an infection that slightly changes the normal functioning of the body.

Grade 3 - a deviation from the normal ESR values ​​by 30-60 units, which indicates the presence in the male body of a serious inflammatory or necrotic process.

Grade 4 - if the norm of ESR in men is exceeded by 60 units, which is an indicator of a catastrophically serious condition of the body.

Is there an error in the analysis?

Yes, without it...

Measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate by the Westergren method or the Panchenkov test is part of a complete blood count.

In Russia, the Panchenkov method is still more common. A graduated glass capillary 1 mm wide and 10 cm high is filled with blood from a finger. It is mixed in certain proportions with an anticoagulant to slow down clotting. The sample is placed in a tripod with a calibrated scale for 60 minutes. The remaining column of plasma above the settled red blood cells is then measured in mm. This is the ESR indicator.

It is important to note that the norm of ESR in men within the framework of this method is measured manually by a laboratory assistant. It inevitably follows from this that the measurement results are subject to the influence of the “human factor. It is clear that under high workload conditions, laboratory assistants do tests at the same time with several samples. And of course, no one can sit with bated breath over one particular test tube for exactly an hour. Inaccuracies are also possible in fixing the distances measured in millimeters.

The Westergren test uses venous blood.

Both methods give similar results only in the range of normal values ​​in younger people. In the region above typical values ​​for each age, the Westergren test shows higher levels of ESR. Both methods have a satisfactory degree of accuracy, but the possibility of automated Westergren analysis makes it more preferable in modern diagnostics.

A detailed ESR blood test, what is it? It shows the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Deciphering the results allows you to determine the state of the internal organs and systems of the human body, timely diagnose certain pathologies. The laboratory non-specific indicator of ESR is one of the first that the attending physician pays attention to when receiving answers. For full awareness on this issue, it will be interesting to consider what ESR is in a blood test.

Information about ESR

A general blood test acts as a proven method for establishing the internal processes occurring in the human body. Deciphering a blood test detects hemoglobin saturation, hematocrit value, parameters of erythrocyte indices and the number of blood cells. In addition to these data, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or the erythrocyte sedimentation reaction (ROE) is detected. In fact, both of these abbreviations denote the same process.

What does ESR mean and what does this indicator report? An increased or decreased ESR value can diagnose the development of inflammation. Any inflammatory process is necessarily accompanied by an increase in the number of immunoglobulins and fibrinogen in the blood - proteins that promote immune functions.

If pathology is present, red blood cells stick together and precipitate in the bloodstream. In a general blood test, the ESR rate in this case increases on the first, maximum on the second day and indicates the development of inflammation. Additional research will be required to establish the localization of the focus of the disease. Because an analysis on ESR can only show the presence of a pathology, but does not diagnose which particular organ or system is affected by the inflammatory process and the cause of the occurrence.

What is ROE becomes clear from the above information, since the concept is identical to ESR. The ROE contraction was used until a new interpretation of the erythrocyte sedimentation process emerged. The value of ROE in a blood test demonstrates the speed, and not the reaction, as previously assumed, as evidenced by the definition of ROE as an erythrocyte sedimentation reaction.

Options for identifying ESR or ROE

A detailed blood test for ESR is carried out in several ways:

Panchenkov. The method consists in filling the capillary with a five percent composition of trisubstituted sodium citrate up to the “P” mark, followed by transfer to a special glass. Further, the same graduated Panchenkov's capillary is filled twice with the patient's blood up to the "K" mark, followed by blowing onto a watch glass in both cases. Then the blood mixed with trisubstituted sodium citrate is again placed in the capillary up to the “K” mark and placed on a tripod in a vertical position for an hour. Then evaluate the result in millimeters.

Westergren and its variations. This approach is used all over the world as the ESR analysis recommended by the International Union for Standardization in Hematology. At present, the method is automated, which gives it an undoubted advantage over other methods. The technology is carried out using test tubes and calibration of the results scale.

The Westergren method is more susceptible to an increase in the level of ESR, and the results are more accurate than the Panchenkov method. To get a blood test for the ROE indicator, you will need venous blood taken with trisubstituted sodium citrate in the required combination. Venous blood can also be used in combination with ethylenediaminetetraacetate and then diluted with saline or sodium citrate in the required ratio.

ESR is calculated per hour, the result is taken into account in millimeters.

Calculation of the movement of erythrocyte aggregation. Measurement of erythrocyte aggregation is carried out automatically, thanks to a special device from Alifax, which simulates the microcapillary of a blood vessel. Venous or capillary blood can serve as an object of study.

Identification of ESR using analyzers. Alifax ESR meters are used to determine the erythrocyte sedimentation rate by measuring optical density. The latest model in this area, the TEST1 THL is equipped with state-of-the-art software that allows the use of advanced latex controls.

Interpretation of test results

To identify ESR indications, a decoding of laboratory tests by a qualified specialist is needed. As a result of the study of the composition of the blood to determine the ROE, three answers can be obtained. The most favorable of the OAK results is when the ESR coefficient is normal.

ESR norm

Due to specific differences in the chemical composition and degree of blood viscosity in men and women, the rate of ESR in different sexes is different. Age also affects the rate of sedimentation of red blood cells in a healthy person. In adults, the upper threshold of ESR readings tend to increase not due to pathologies, but due to age-related changes in the body. This is eloquently evidenced by the data given in the table.

Table of changes in the values ​​of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate

For childhood, a very low concentration of protein in the blood is characteristic, on which the reduced ESR also depends. So in newborns, up to 1 month, the norm is the ESR value, which is 1-2 mm / h. Starting from a monthly period and up to six months, the level rises significantly to 2-4 mm / h. And from six months to a year it is 4-9 mm / h. Such a sharp surge is associated with the active development of a growing organism. Later, about 10–15 years, the ESR readings stabilize in the region of 4–12 mm/h.

An exception to the rule when the allowable blood rate is calculated is pregnancy. During this period, ESR readings can reach up to 45 mm/h. The increase begins from 10-11 weeks of pregnancy and can persist for a month after delivery.

Elevated ESR

What does an increase in the rate of red blood cell sedimentation indicate? If an increase in ESR readings is found in the analyzes, physiological factors must first be excluded. Such circumstances may include:

• elderly age;
• pregnancy;
• postpartum or menstrual period in women;
• excess body weight;
• individual characteristics of the organism.

When all exceptional causes are taken into account, an elevated ESR usually indicates a possible pathology. Among the deviations indicated by an overestimated ESR, there may be:

• bacterial infections.
• Postoperative or shock conditions.
• Diseases of the ligamentous apparatus.
• Oncological diseases.
• Iron-deficiency anemia.
• Foci of inflammation and other ailments.

An increase in ESR may occur during the course of treatment with certain pharmacological drugs. Such means, for example, include glucocorticoids, estrogens, contraceptives, and others. As well as therapeutic procedures.

Reduced ESR

When a blood test for ESR shows a reduced level, this is not necessarily a sign of a serious deviation in health. A slight decrease in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is often observed in vegetarians or after a diet, and it also happens to accompany the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Taking corticosteroid hormones can lead to a decrease in ESR.

With an impressive decrease in the reaction of sedimentation of red blood cells, or if not feeling well is added to this factor, then it makes sense to assume the development of a pathological process. Deviations indicating a decrease in ESR may include:

• Improper hyperhydration.
• Developing myodystrophy.
• Sickle cell anemia.
• hereditary spherocytosis.
• Erythrocytosis and leukocytosis and other diseases.

It is important to know that a clinical blood test is classified as a non-specific laboratory diagnosis. Consequently, with fluctuations in the direction of increasing or decreasing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a more detailed examination is recommended. The direction of which should depend on the symptoms that concern the patient.

In contact with

The measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the use of this indicator as a method of medical diagnosis was proposed back in 1918 by the Swedish researcher Faro. First, he was able to establish that the ESR in pregnant women is significantly higher than in non-pregnant women, and then he found that an increase in ESR indicates many diseases.

But this indicator entered the medical protocols for blood tests only decades later. First Westergren in 1926 and then Winthrop in 1935 developed methods for measuring the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which are widely used in medicine today.

Laboratory characteristic of ESR

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate shows the ratio of plasma protein fractions. Due to the fact that the density of erythrocytes is higher than the density of plasma, they slowly settle to the bottom under the influence of gravity in the test tube. At the same time, the very speed of this process is determined by the degree of aggregation of red blood cells: the higher the level of aggregation of blood cells, the lower their resistance to friction and the higher the settling rate. As a result, a thick burgundy precipitate of erythrocytes appears in the test tube or in the capillary at the bottom, and a translucent liquid remains in the upper part.

Interestingly, in addition to the red blood cells themselves, other chemicals that make up the blood also affect the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In particular, globulins, albumins and fibrinogen are able to change the surface charge of erythrocytes, increasing their tendency to "stick together" with each other, thereby increasing the ESR.

At the same time, ESR is a non-specific laboratory indicator, by which it is impossible to unambiguously judge the reasons for its change relative to the norm. At the same time, its high sensitivity is appreciated by physicians, who, when the erythrocyte sedimentation rate changes, have a clear signal for further examination of the patient.
The ESR is measured in millimeters per hour.

In addition to methods for measuring the erythrocyte sedimentation rate of Westergren and Winthrop, Panchenkov's method is also used in modern medicine. Despite some differences in these methods, the results they show are approximately the same. Let's consider all three methods of studying ESR in more detail.

The Westergren method is the most common in the world and it is he who is approved by the International Committee for the Standardization of Blood Research. This method involves the sampling of venous blood, which is combined for analysis in a ratio of 4 to 1 with sodium citrate. The diluted blood is placed in a capillary 15 centimeters long with a measuring scale on its walls, and an hour later the distance from the upper boundary of the settled erythrocytes to the upper boundary of the plasma is measured. The results of the ESR study using the Westergren method are considered as objective as possible.

The Winthrop ESR method differs in that the blood is combined with an anticoagulant (it inhibits the blood's ability to clot) and placed in a tube with a scale on which the ESR is measured. At the same time, this technique is considered indicative for high rates of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (more than 60 mm / h), since in this case the tube becomes clogged with settled blood cells.

According to Panchenkov, the study of ESR is as similar as possible to Westergren's methodology. The blood diluted with sodium citrate is placed for settling in a capillary divided by 100 units. An hour later, the ESR is measured.

At the same time, the results according to the methods of Westergren and Panchenkov are the same only in the normal state, and with an increase in ESR, the first method fixes higher rates. In modern medicine, with an increase in ESR, it is the Westergren method that is considered more accurate. Recently, automatic devices for measuring the ESR index have also appeared in modern laboratories, the operation of which actually does not require human intervention. The function of a laboratory employee is only to decipher the results.

Norms of erythrocyte sedimentation rate

The ESR indicator in the norm varies quite seriously depending on the sex and age of the person. The gradations of this standard for a healthy person are specifically indicated and for clarity we present them in the form of a table:

In some gradations of ESR norms for people aged 60 years and over, not a specific indicator is used, but a formula. In this case, in older men, the upper limit of normal is equal to age divided by two, and in women, age plus "10" divided by two. This technique is used quite rarely and only by individual laboratories. The values ​​​​of the maximum ESR norm for it can reach 36-44 mm / h and even higher rates, which by most doctors is already considered a signal of the presence of pathology and the need for medical research.

It is worth noting once again the fact that the ESR norm in a pregnant woman can seriously differ from the indicators given in the table above. In anticipation of a child, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can reach 40-50 mm / h, which in no way indicates a disease or pathology and is not a prerequisite for any further research.

Reasons for the growth of ESR

The growth of ESR can indicate dozens of different diseases and abnormalities in the body, so it is always used in combination with other laboratory studies. But at the same time, in medicine there is a certain list of groups of diseases in which the erythrocyte sedimentation rate invariably increases:

• blood diseases (in particular, with sickle cell anemia, the irregular shape of erythrocytes provokes an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which differs significantly from the normative indicators);
• infarctions and (in this case, acute-phase inflammatory proteins are adsorbed on the surface of blood cells, reducing their electrical charge);
• diseases associated with metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, obesity);
• diseases of the liver and biliary tract;
• leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma (with myeloma, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in almost all cases exceeds 90 mm / h and can reach 150 mm / h);
• malignant neoplasms.

In addition, an increase in ESR is observed in most inflammatory processes in the body, with anemia and with various infections.
Modern statistics of laboratory studies have collected enough data on the reasons for the increase in ESR, which made it possible to create a kind of "rating". The absolute leader causing the growth of ESR are infectious diseases. They account for 40 percent of the facts of detection of excess ESR. Oncological diseases and rheumatism took the second and third places of this list with the results of 23 and 17 percent. In eight percent of cases of fixing a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, it was caused by anemia, inflammatory processes in the digestive tract and the pelvic area, diabetes mellitus, injuries and diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and in three percent of cases, increased ESR was a signal of kidney disease.

Despite the fact that the collected statistics are quite eloquent, you should not self-diagnose yourself in terms of ESR. This can only be done by a doctor, using several laboratory tests in combination. The ESR indicator can increase very seriously, up to 90-100 mm / h, regardless of the type of disease, but in terms of the result of the study, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate cannot serve as a marker for a specific cause.

There are also prerequisites under which the growth of ESR does not reflect the development of any disease. In particular, a sharp increase in the indicator is observed in pregnant women, and a slight increase in ESR is possible with allergic reactions and even on the type of food: diet or fasting lead to changes in the blood test and to some extent affect the ESR. In medicine, this group of factors is called the causes of a false positive ESR analysis and they are tried to be excluded even before the examination.
In a separate paragraph, it is worth mentioning the cases when even in-depth studies do not show the reasons for the increase in ESR. Very rarely, a constant overestimation of this indicator can be a feature of the body that has neither prerequisites nor consequences. This feature is typical for every twentieth inhabitant of the planet. But even in this case, it is recommended to be regularly examined by a doctor so as not to miss the development of any pathology.

It is also important that in most diseases, the growth of ESR does not begin immediately, but after a day, and after recovery, the restoration of this indicator to normal can take up to four weeks. This fact should be remembered by every doctor, so that after the completion of the course of treatment, the person should not be subjected to additional studies due to a residual increase in the ESR.

Reasons for the growth of ESR in a child

The body of children traditionally differs from the adult in terms of laboratory results. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is no exception, the growth of which in a child is provoked by a slightly modified list of prerequisites.

In most cases, an increased ESR in the blood of a child indicates the presence of an infectious-inflammatory process in the body. This is often confirmed by other results in the general blood test, which, together with ESR, almost immediately form a picture of the child's condition. At the same time, in a small patient, an increase in this indicator is often accompanied by a visual deterioration of the condition: weakness, apathy, lack of appetite - a classic picture of an infectious disease with the presence of an inflammatory process.

Of the non-communicable diseases that most often provoke an increased ESR in a child, the following should be highlighted:

• pulmonary and extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis;
• anemia and blood diseases;
• diseases associated with metabolic disorders;
• injury.

However, if an increased ESR is found in a child, the reasons can be quite harmless. In particular, going beyond the norm of this indicator can be triggered by taking paracetamol, one of the most popular antipyretic drugs, teething in infants, the presence of worms (helminthiasis), and vitamin deficiency in the body. All these factors are also false-positive and must be taken into account even at the stage of preparation for the delivery of a laboratory blood test.

Causes of an underestimated ESR

A low relative to the norm erythrocyte sedimentation rate is quite rare. In most cases, this situation is provoked by violations of hyperhydration (water-salt metabolism) in the body. In addition, low ESR may be a consequence of developing muscle dystrophy and liver failure. Among the non-pathological causes of low ESR, corticosteroids, smoking, vegetarianism, prolonged fasting and early pregnancy are distinguished, but there is practically no consistency in these prerequisites.
Finally, let's summarize all the information about the ESR:

• this is a non-specific indicator. Only on it it is impossible to diagnose the disease;
• an increase in ESR is not a reason for panic, but is a reason for in-depth analysis. The reasons can be both very harmless and quite serious;
• ESR is one of the few laboratory studies that is based on mechanical action, and not on a chemical reaction;
• until recently, automatic systems for measuring ESR made laboratory assistant error the most common cause of false erythrocyte sedimentation rate analysis.

In modern medicine, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate continues to be perhaps the most popular laboratory blood test. The high sensitivity of the analysis allows doctors to clearly determine the presence of problems in the patient and prescribe further examination. The only serious drawback of this study is the strong dependence of the result on the correctness of the actions of the laboratory assistant, but with the advent of automatic systems for determining ESR, the human factor can be eliminated.