Question
After undergoing a medical examination in the hospital, the child’s erythrocyte sedimentation rate result shows 7mm/60 minutes. What does this value mean?
Answer
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test involves placing anticoagulated blood into an ESR tube and allowing it to settle vertically. The rate at which red blood cells sink due to their higher density is observed. This rate is typically indicated by the distance the red blood cells have settled by the end of the first hour, known as the sedimentation rate. The normal reference range is: males 0-15mm/60 minutes, females 0-20mm/60 minutes. A child’s erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 7mm/60 minutes falls within the normal range.