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The ESR is the speed at which non-clotted red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube.
Increased rates of RBC settling are caused by changes in the plasma proteins. In some diseases, the ESR can be particularly rapid (high ESR). These include:
Infection
Inflammatory diseases
Auto-immune diseases
Trauma/tissue injury
Many cancers
Normal Values*
Men
0-15 mm/hr
Women
0-20 mm/hr
Children
0-10 mm/hr
*These are general values taken from a variety of sources. The actual normal values may vary from lab to lab and from one type of testing protocol to another.
Source: Operational Medicine 2001, Health Care in Military Settings, NAVMED P-5139, May 1, 2001, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20372-5300
