Erythrocytes are red blood cells. The sedimentation rate is the time it takes for your red blood cells to settle at the bottom of a test tube. An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a blood test that can show if you have inflammation in your body. Inflammation is your immune system's response to injury, infection, and many other conditions, including immune system disorders, certain cancers, and blood disorders.
An ESR test can be used with other tests to help diagnose and monitor conditions that cause inflammation. Many conditions cause inflammation, including arthritis, vasculitis, infections, and inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). An ESR may also be used to monitor an existing condition.
Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Normal range
Result tiers from clinical guidelines — not a single normal band.
| Source | Sex | Age | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| LabCorp Test Directory | All | ≤ 50 y | 0–30 mm/hour |
| LabCorp Test Directory | All | ≤ 50 y | 0–40 mm/hour |
What an abnormal result can be associated with
- A high result
- Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- A low result
- Decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Associations from LOINC2HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology). This is reference information, not a diagnosis — only a clinician can interpret your result in context.
Details
- Sample
- Whole blood · LOINC
- Listed under
- Autoimmune Diseases · Giant Cell Arteritis · Kawasaki Disease · Osteoarthritis · Polymyalgia Rheumatica · Raynaud Phenomenon · Rheumatoid Arthritis · Vasculitis
- Code
- LOINC 4537-7 · mm/hour
- Also known as
- Westrgrn, Red cells, Discocyte, Red blood cells, WB