What is the Westergren method?
[ wĕs′tər-grĕn′, vĕs′- ] n. A method for estimating the sedimentation rate of red blood cells in whole blood by mixing venous blood with an aqueous solution of sodium citrate and allowing the mixture to stand in an upright standard pipet and, after one hour, reading the millimeters the cells have descended.
How do you use a Westergren tube?
Westergren method: The Westergren method requires collecting 2 ml of venous blood into a tube containing 0 . 5 ml of sodium citrate. It should be stored no longer than 2 hours at room temperature or 6 hours at 4 °C. The blood is drawn into a Westergren-Katz tube to the 200 mm mark.
What is the Westergren test?
Description. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) westergren is an easy, inexpensive, nonspecific test that has been used for many years to help diagnose conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
How do you determine ESR by Westergren’s method?
The Westergren Method determines Erythocryte Sedimentation Rate after 1 hour in a vertically mounted tube of defined length (200 mm) and diameter (2,55 mm). The blood is diluted with a dedicated diluent in a 4:1 ratio. The objective of ESR testing is to measure inflammability state.
Why is the Westergren method used?
The Westergren method is considered the standard method for measuring ESR. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is the rate of sedimentation of RBCs and is used often as a nonspecific measure in monitoring disease activity and assisting in the diagnosis of many inflammatory disorders.
Is ESR same as Westergren?
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a nonspecific screening test to assess elevations of acute phase proteins that occur in various acute and chronic diseases. The recommended method is based on the Westergren method. Other technologies to measure ESR have been developed, including centrifugation-based methods.
Why laboratories employ EDTA blood instead of citrated blood in the Westergren method?
The Westergren method uses citrate, a liquid-based anticoagulant, resulting in dilution of blood, inaccuracies of which significantly affect the ESR. EDTA is a solid-based anticoagulant that does not cause significant dilution (<1%), reducing the errors of dilution.
What is the sedimentation Westergren test used for?
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) westergren is an easy, inexpensive, nonspecific test that has been used for many years to help diagnose conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation , including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
What is Westergren test?
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) westergren is an easy, inexpensive, nonspecific test that has been used for many years to help diagnose conditions associated with acute and chronic inflammation, including infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
What does high ESR Westergren mean?
An erythrocyte sedimentation rate, commonly referred to as a sed rate, is a blood test that detects nonspecific inflammation in your body. An elevated (abnormally high) sed rate does suggest that there is an ongoing inflammatory process in your body, but does not indicate where or why.
What is sedimentation rate Westergren?
The normal sedimentation rate (Westergren method) for males is 0-15 millimeters per hour, for females it is 0-20 millimeters per hour. The sedimentation rate can be slightly elevated in the elderly. Falsely low sedimentation rates can occur in the blood from people with leukemia or polycythemia rubra vera.