Using The Esr To Make A Diagnosis
The ESR remains an important diagnostic criterion for only two diseases: polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis911. Polymyalgia rheumatica is characterized by severe aching and stiffness in the neck, shoulder girdle or pelvic girdle areas.10 In some patients, systemic symptoms may predominate, with initial manifestations including anemia, fever of unknown origin or a nonspecific systemic illness accompanied by anorexia, malaise and weight loss.
| The ESR is an inexpensive, simple test of chronic inflammatory activity. |
| Indications for the ESR have decreased as the sophistication of laboratory testing has increased. |
| The ESR rises with age, but this increase may simply reflect a higher disease prevalence in the elderly. |
| The use of the ESR as a screening test in asymptomatic persons is limited by its low sensitivity and specificity. |
| An elevated ESR is a key diagnostic criterion for polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis, but normal values do not preclude these conditions. |
| When there is a moderate suspicion of disease, the ESR may have some value as a sickness index. |
| An extremely elevated ESR will usually have an apparent causemost commonly infection, malignancy or temporal arteritis. |
| A mild to moderately elevated ESR without obvious etiology should prompt repeat testing after several months rather than an expensive search for occult disease. |
Potential Benefits Of High Sed Rate
1) May Increase Survival In Heart Failure
In a study of 242 people with chronic heart failure, those with high ESR levels had higher survival rates compared to patients with low or normal ESR levels .
2) May Increase Survival In Cancer
In a study on 300 people with prostate cancer, ESR levels between 40 50 mm/hr were associated with a lower risk of death .
How Much Does The Test Cost
The price of an ESR test varies based on where you have the test done and whether you have health insurance. The cost of the test may increase if you have other tests performed along with an ESR. For example, an ESR test through Testing.com costs $39.
If you want to know more about the cost of the procedure and how much your insurance covers, contact your insurance company. If you do not have any kind of health insurance coverage, you can ask the testing facility about any available financial assistance programs for the uninsured.
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When Should You Take A Sedimentation Rate Blood Test
Your doctor may require you to take a SED rate blood test if you exhibit symptoms of inflammation associated with medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic vasculitis, temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, chronic infection, and lupus. These symptoms include the following:
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling
Inflammation is a natural immune response to threats like pathogens or disease-causing microbes. In some cases, it can develop due to defects developed by the immune system. This leads to the immune cells attacking healthy cells resulting in autoimmune disease.
When inflammation persists, it could be a sign of a severe health condition requiring immediate medical attention. On top of that, it comes with various discomforting effects, such as pain and swelling, which could impede your productivity and wellness.
How Long Before Results
While wait times can vary, results from most labs done in a doctors office or a clinic take a few business days. Your doctor or nurse will call you with your results, along with any next steps.
There arent any risks directly associated with an ESR Test. However, having your blood drawn may involve minimal risks. Possible complications include:
- bleeding, from very light to excessive
- lightheadedness
Youll probably feel mild to moderate pain when the needle pricks your skin. You might also feel throbbing at the puncture site after the test.
If youre uncomfortable at the sight of blood, you may also experience discomfort seeing blood drawn from your body. Talk with your doctor or lab technician about these concerns before you get your blood drawn.
There are two methods for measuring your erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
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Usefulness As A Sickness Index In The Elderly
Some authors have proposed that the ESR be used as an inexpensive sickness index in the elderly.19,21 In a study of 142 residents of a long-term care hospital who had a nonspecific change in health status or developed new musculoskeletal complaints, the post-test probability of new disease rose from 7 percent in those with an ESR of less than 20 mm per hour to 66 percent in those with an ESR of more than 50 mm per hour. However, this investigation specifically excluded patients known to have an ESR-elevating disease and those in whom no disease was suspected.21
The authors concluded that combining clinical evaluation with an individual ESR value allowed the identification of groups of patients in whom the likelihood of disease was quite low or reasonably high, possibly limiting unnecessary investigations.
Accuracy Of Test Results
A number of conditions can affect the properties of blood, thereby affecting how quickly red blood cells sink in a sample of blood. So information about inflammatory disease what your doctor intends to learn from the sed rate test can be obscured by the influence of other conditions. These complicating factors include:
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Screening For Systemic Disease Or Neoplasia
Unfortunately, the ESR is neither sensitive nor specific when used as a general screening test.1,3,19 For instance, the ESR may be elevated in the presence of infectious disease, other inflammatory or destructive processes, collagen vascular disease or malignancy,13 but it may not be increased in a number of infectious diseases , allergic processes, angina or peptic ulcer disease .
Because an elevated ESR may occur in so many different clinical settings, this finding is meaningless as an isolated laboratory value. In addition, some patients who have malignant tumors, infections or other inflammatory disorders will have normal ESR values. Most unexplained ESR elevations are short-lived and not associated with any specific underlying process. In those instances where disease is present, it will usually be obvious after completion of history taking, physical examination and collection of routine laboratory data.3
Test Results: High Vs Low Sedimentation Rate
The results of the ESR blood test will be shown on the report in millimeters per hour . The value depicts the distance covered by the red blood cells clumping and sinking to the bottom of the tube within one hour. You can match your result to the normal reference interval indicated on the report. The normal SED rate range is from 0 to 32 mm/hr.
While the blood test provides substantial information about inflammation, the result accuracy can be affected by certain conditions such as pregnancy, old age, thyroid disease, kidney disease, and some cancers. Hence, your doctor may include specific blood tests before requesting for a sedimentation rate blood test. Additionally, certain medications can also contribute to the increased SED rate.
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What Is The Test Used For
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a non-specific, very simple test that has been used for many years to diagnose inflammation in situations like infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. Because an elevated ESR often indicates the presence of inflammation but does not tell the health practitioner where the inflammation is in the body or what is causing it, it is referred to as a non-specific test. Apart from inflammation, other conditions might affect an ESR. As a result, the ESR is frequently combined with other tests, such as C-reactive protein.
ESR is used to diagnose and monitor disease activity and treatment response in various inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, vasculitis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. One of the key test results to support the diagnosis is a significantly high ESR.
The ESR test is used to diagnose and monitor children with rheumatoid arthritis or Kawasaki disease in a pediatric setting.
Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis With Blood Tests
Rheumatoid arthritis blood tests are only one way to help doctors reach a diagnosis. If a patient is positive for any of these tests, they must also exhibit specific symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors look at multiple other criteria besides blood test results when determining their diagnosis.
In some cases, patients can still be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis even if they dont test positive for the various types of antibodies found in rheumatoid arthritis blood tests.
Read more about diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis and the different types of rheumatoid arthritis here.
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Why Else Could Sedimentation Rate Be Elevated
Overweight and obese people, along with older adults, tend to have naturally higher baseline sedimentation rates, says Dr. Schulz, so a high ESR doesnt necessarily signal a problem in those groups. Someone might have a higher level that is natural to them, he says. It might look abnormal, but its not.
Screening For Specific Diseases
The ESR test could help with the diagnosis of certain diseases:
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
Low fibrinogen levels make the red blood cells lighter and decrease the ESR. So, genes decreasing fibrinogen production may theoretically reduce ESR levels:
- rs1800787 is associated with low fibrinogen, slow initiation of the coagulation cascade, and possibly childhood pneumonia .
- rs148685782 is associated with low blood fibrinogen levels and hypofibrinogenemia .
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Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Blood Test
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate test or sed rate test, is a blood test that checks for inflammation. It measures the distance in millimeters that red blood cells fall in one hour .
There are a few ways that this is measured, such as the Westergren method, Wintrobe Method, MicroESR, and automated methods .
What Is Being Tested
Inflammation causes red blood cells to stick to each other and form clumps. These clumps are heavier than normal individual red blood cells.
In an ESR, blood is put into a test tube and allowed to settle. If there is inflammation, the red blood cells will clump together and fall quickly to the bottom of the tube. If there is no inflammation, the red blood cells will settle more slowly. Either way, there is a column of clear liquid at the top of the tube.
The ESR measures the height of the column of plasma after 1 hour. A low reading means not many cells have settled, which suggests no inflammation. A high reading means a lot of cells have settled, which suggest inflammation.
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Why And When Do You Need This Test
An ESR may be ordered when a condition or disease is suspected of causing inflammation in the body. This test can be used to detect a variety of inflammatory diseases. It may be requested, for example, if arthritis is suspected of producing joint inflammation and pain or if inflammatory bowel disease is suspected of causing digestive symptoms.When a person develops symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatic, systemic vasculitis, or temporal arteritides, such as headaches, neck or shoulder discomfort, pelvic pain, anemia, poor appetite, unexplained weight loss, and joint stiffness, a doctor may recommend an ESR. The ESR can also be ordered regularly to help monitor the progression of certain diseases.
At the same time as the ESR, your doctor may prescribe the C-reactive protein test, as well as other general tests like a comprehensive metabolic panel or a complete blood count . Both ESR and C-reactive protein are inflammatory indicators. ESR does not change as quickly as CRP does during the beginning of inflammation or as it resolves. CRP is less impacted by other factors than ESR, making it a more accurate indicator of inflammation. However, because ESR is an easily performed test, many healthcare practitioners still utilize ESR as an initial test when they think a patient has inflammation.
The Results And What They Mean
Your sample will go to a lab. You should have the results in 1 or 2 hours.
A lab technician will place your red blood cells into a tall, thin tube and check how far they fall in 1 hour. When you have inflammation in your body, abnormal proteins in your blood make red blood cells form into clumps. These clumps are heavy, so they fall to the bottom of the tube more quickly than single blood cells.
The faster the blood cells sink, the more inflammation you have in your body.
The sed rate test reports in millimeters the distance between the clear liquid at the top of the tube and your red blood cells after 1 hour. The normal range is:
- 0 to 15 mm/hour in men younger than 50
- 0 to 20 mm/hour in men older than 50
- 0 to 20 mm/hour in women younger than 50
- 0 to 30 mm/hour for women older than 50
A high sed rate is a sign you have a disease that causes inflammation in your body.
Some conditions and medicines can affect the speed at which red blood cells fall, and they may affect your test results. These include:
- Drugs like birth control pills, methyldopa , theophylline , vitamin A, cortisone, and quinine
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What Kind Of Sample Is Required For The Test
ple is required for the test?A healthcare provider will use a small needle to obtain a blood sample from a vein in your arm. A small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial once the needle is inserted. When the needle goes in or out, it may sting a little. It usually takes less than five minutes to complete this process.
What Medications Affect The Sed Rate
Anti-inflammatory drugs lower the SED rate. However, other medications and supplements can also affect the SED rate, which is why its best to let your healthcare provider about taking specific drugs. These drugs include quinine, cortisone, methyldopa, theophylline, vitamin A supplement, and birth control pills.
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What Is A Sedimentation Rate Blood Test
A SED blood test or ESR test helps determine the degree of inflammation by analyzing how fast your red blood cells or erythrocytes settle in a vertical tube. However, an ESR blood test is not a sufficient independent diagnostic tool.
While it aids in analyzing the nature of the inflammatory condition, you will need other tests to determine its cause. For example, if the chronic inflammation is due to an autoimmune disease, your doctor will assess the condition based on your other symptoms and the results of autoimmune disorder tests.
Another lab test that goes hand-in-hand with an ESR test is the C-reactive protein blood test. This detects acute inflammation and tissue injury as well as monitors if the treatment works.
What Does It Mean If Your Sedimentation Rate Is High
A high SED rate is any value above 32 mm/hr. This entails a faster-than-normal rate of descent for the red blood cells, which suggests inflammation. The cause of the inflammation can range from an infection, injury, kidney disease, and heart disease to autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and vasculitis.
Getting a high SED rate warrants further testing to identify the conditions cause. Consequently, this would allow your healthcare provider to prescribe the proper treatment.
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Sed Rate Blood Test Results Fully Explained
The sed rate blood test is a common test that helps to measure the sedimentation rate of red blood cells in the blood. This provides a measurement of how much inflammation exists within the body. Sometimes it may be referred to as an erythrocyte sed test by a medical provider, but this is just the name given to the red blood cells.
Outside of monitoring inflammation, the sed rate blood test is also used to monitor the progress of diseases that are being treated. This includes rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, vasculitis, and abscesses. Several forms of arthritis may also be able to be monitored through this test in certain patient groups.
To measure the sedimentation rate, the blood is placed in a thin, tall tube so that the red blood cells settle to the bottom. Inflammation causes the cells to clump, so higher levels of inflammation cause faster clumping and sedimentation rates.
When Should I Worry About My Esr
To get an ESR rate over 100 mm/hr should already cause an alarm. While going beyond the normal range suggests health issues related to inflammation, an extremely high ESR rate entails severe medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and untreated infections. Consult your doctor to secure other diagnostic procedures.
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What Are The Reasons For Performing A Sedimentation Rate Test
Doctors use the sedimentation rate to help to determine if inflammation is present in the patient. Additionally, the sedimentation rate can be a convenient method of monitoring the progress of treatment of diseases that are characterized by inflammation. Accordingly, a high or elevated sedimentation rate would correlate with more disease activity while a low sedimentation rate would suggest that the disease is less active.
Examples of diseases that are commonly monitored with the sedimentation rate test include
Taking The Blood Sample
You donât need to do anything special to prepare. It’s just a basic blood test.
Let your doctor know what medicines you take before you have the test. Certain drugs can affect the results. Also let your doctor know if you are pregnant or are having your period.
A nurse or other health care provider will take a sample of your blood, usually from a vein in your arm. They will first tie a band around the upper part of your arm to make your vein fill with blood and swell up. Then theyâll clean the area with an antiseptic, and place a needle into your vein. Your blood will collect into a vial or tube.
The process should only take a couple of minutes. Afterward, youâll get a piece of gauze and a bandage over the area to stop the bleeding.
You may feel a slight sting as your blood is drawn. Afterward, you may have a small bruise. You might feel dizzy and sore, and there might be some bleeding.
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