Medical abbreviation:
ESR
Type:
Blood test
Definition:
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate looks at the rate at which red blood cells fall in a test tube. This detects inflammation and its level, but the test is unable to specify the source of the inflammation.
When would I need this test?
The test is most often requested to look for inflammation and serial measurements can be used to assess the success of medical treatment. Inflammation in the body can arise commonly due to autoimmune conditions (e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, hepatitis etc) and chronic infections. ESR usually changes very little from day to day and tends to be used to measure inflammation over longer periods of time, usually weeks and months, unlike CRP which may fluctuate daily.
