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HelpTest Code ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Whole blood
Preferred Specimen: lavender top
Other Acceptable specimens: not applicable
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. Specimens must be received within 8 hours. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimens prior to transport.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
- Frozen or heated specimens will be rejected
- Clotted or quantity not sufficient specimens are not suitable for testing and will be rejected
Reference Values
|
Analyte |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
|
ESR |
0 – 44 |
Female |
0 – 20 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
0 – 44 |
Male |
0 – 15 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
45 – 49 |
Female |
1 – 39 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
45 – 49 |
Male |
0 – 22 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
50 – 54 |
Female |
1 – 41 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
50 – 54 |
Male |
0 – 25 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
55 – 59 |
Female |
1 – 44 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
55 – 59 |
Male |
0 – 28 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
60 – 64 |
Female |
1 – 47 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
60 – 64 |
Male |
0 – 33 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
65 – 69 |
Female |
1 – 50 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
65 – 69 |
Male |
0 – 35 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
70 – 79 |
Female |
1 – 53 mm/hr |
|
ESR |
70 – 79 |
Male |
0 – 38 mm/hr |
Critical Values
Not applicable
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: 60 minutes
Routine Turnaround Time: 240 minutes
Testing Schedule: 24/7
CPT Codes
85651
LOINC Codes
ESR 4537-7
Volume
Preferred Volume: 4.0 mL
Minimum Volume: 1.0 mL
Specimen Stability
|
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
|
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
4 hours |
|
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
8 hours |
|
Frozen (-20°C) |
not acceptable |
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Test Components
ESR
Methodology
Capillary Photometry Technology, Alifax Roller 20PN
Synonyms/Search Keywords
Sedimentation rate, ESR, Sed rate
Last Reviewed Date
8/12/2024
Clinical Indications
- Non-specific screening tests for infection, inflammatory, degenerative or neoplastic conditions
- CPR is better than ESR to monitor inflammatory diseases