Description

Sedimentation Rate Westergreen Test or ESR Test is recommended to evaluate certain inflammatory conditions, tissue destruction, and certain non-specific infections, cancers and autoimmune diseases. ESR is also known as Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate.

The ESR measures how quickly red blood cells sediment (fall to the bottom of a test tube). The faster the sediment the higher chance of inflammation.

The sedimentation rate helps confirm certain diagnosis like arteritis, polymyalgia, and arthritis.

Since ESR cannot pinpoint the problem that is causing the inflammation, it is usually ordered with other tests like C-reactive protein (CRP) test.

Fasting not required.