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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
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 |
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 |
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
Clinical Indications
- Non-specific screening tests for infection, inflammatory, degenerative or neoplastic conditions
- CPR is better than ESR to monitor inflammatory diseases
Test Components
ESR
Methodology
Capillary Photometry Technology, Alifax Roller 20PN
CPT Codes
85651
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Critical Values
Not applicable
LOINC Codes
ESR 4537-7
Synonyms/Search Keywords
Sedimentation rate, ESR, Sed rate
Last Reviewed Date
8/12/2024