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Understanding erythrocyte sedimentation rate

CPD Hours

1.0

Category

Diagnostics
Chronic diseases
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Overview

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is the rate at which red blood cells sediment in a period of one hour - that is - how much they separate from plasma in one hour. It is a non-specific measure of inflammation in the body and is primarily used as a screening tool.

This module will provide a brief overview of what ESR testing is, why it is used, how to interpret findings, and what limitations there are of this test as a diagnostic and monitoring tool.

Learning Objective

At the end of this module participants will be able to:

  • Understand what ESR testing is.
  • Know the most common reasons for performing an ESR test.
  • Understand the factors affecting the accuracy of ESR.

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