ESR

aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate

I had this test about 3 weeks before Ada was born, but I did not get the
result, nor did they apparently get sent to anyone, of if they did, everyone
though someone else was dealing with it. The result has just been unearthed
from my medical notes and has been circled, indicating it is abnormal. My
internet searches reveal that pregnancy can cause the result to be raised
anyway, but I can't find out by how much, normal range for a women under 50
is up to 20 mm/hr, mine was 47 mm/hr, so significantly higher and it only
says pregnancy _may_ raise it. This could explain the pain I was in at that
stage of pregnancy, does anyone know what would be considered normal in
pregnancy?

I'm going to have to take this up with my GP, and I expect the only way
forward will be to do another test, but as I am no longer in pain (other
than hips and pelvis), it may not clear up the mystery.

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:
aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate

I had this test about 3 weeks before Ada was born, but I did not get the
result, nor did they apparently get sent to anyone, of if they did, everyone
though someone else was dealing with it. The result has just been unearthed
from my medical notes and has been circled, indicating it is abnormal. My
internet searches reveal that pregnancy can cause the result to be raised
anyway, but I can't find out by how much, normal range for a women under 50
is up to 20 mm/hr, mine was 47 mm/hr, so significantly higher and it only
says pregnancy _may_ raise it. This could explain the pain I was in at that
stage of pregnancy, does anyone know what would be considered normal in
pregnancy?

BJOG. 2001 Nov;108(11):1164-7.
Pregnancy and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

van den Broe NR, Letsky EA.

Department of Reproductive Health, Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine, Liverpool, UK.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the range of erythrocyte sedimentation
rate values obtained in healthy pregnant women. To examine the effect of
gestational age and haemoglobin concentration on erythrocyte
sedimentation rate. SETTING: Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London, UK.
DESIGN: Cross sectional descriptive study. Population Healthy pregnant
women attending for routine outpatient antenatal visits at Queen
Charlotte's Hospital in London. METHODS: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
was determined by the Westergren method, haemoglobin concentration by
automated cell counter and gestational age by ultrasonography. The
median and 95% reference range was determined for erythrocyte
sedimentation rate values obtained. Linear regression analysis was used
to determine the influence of haemoglobin concentration and gestational
age on erythrocyte sedimentation rate. RESULTS: For 1,019 women
examined, the range of erythrocyte sedimentation rate values obtained
was 4-112 mm/ h. Gestational age and haemoglobin concentration both
significantly influenced erythrocyte sedimentation rate. (P 0.0001).
For non-anaemic women the 95% reference range rose from 18-48 mm/h in
the first half of pregnancy to 30-70 mm/h in the second half of
pregnancy. For anaemic women the corresponding reference ranges were
21-62 mm/h and 40-95 mm/h, respectively. CONCLUSION: For the correct
interpretation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate values obtained during
pregnancy gestational age and haemoglobin concentration must be taken
into account.

Thanks Ericka, I don't know if my haemoglobin was tested at the same time,
but it seems like I'd be in the normal range anyway. I will still mention it
when I next go to the doctors.

Btw, where did you find this, I'd spent about half an hour searching for
something on google, but hadn't come up with anything and I did look at a
couple of academic papers

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:

Btw, where did you find this, I'd spent about half an hour searching for
something on google, but hadn't come up with anything and I did look at a
couple of academic papers

I found it on PubMed:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed

Take care,
Ericka

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate


This test is notoriously non-specific. As Ericka mentioned, it must be
adjusted for anemia. Anemia is very common in pregnancy, especially towards
the end, so this alone could change it. Other things which can raise the
sed rate are stress, the common cold, and many, many other things. The
final weeks of pregnancy are pretty stressful physiologically, so I would
think it could have an effect.

Interpreting this test must be done in the context of everything that's
going on, with the reason for doing the test in the first place being very
important. It would be reasonable to repeat the test now that you are no
longer pregnant and see what it is, as well as assessing whatever symptoms
you were having that caused them to check it.

"medgirl" wrote in message
...
"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate


This test is notoriously non-specific. As Ericka mentioned, it must be
adjusted for anemia. Anemia is very common in pregnancy, especially
towards the end, so this alone could change it.

Really? While a lowering of the haemoglobin in pregnancy is normal, I
wouldn't have thought anaemia was common. Iron deficiency OTOH seems to be
a common occurance in the last few months of pregnancy.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

"Mum of Two" wrote in message
...
"medgirl" wrote in message
...
"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate


This test is notoriously non-specific. As Ericka mentioned, it must be
adjusted for anemia. Anemia is very common in pregnancy, especially
towards the end, so this alone could change it.

Really? While a lowering of the haemoglobin in pregnancy is normal, I
wouldn't have thought anaemia was common. Iron deficiency OTOH seems to
be a common occurance in the last few months of pregnancy.

Anemia just means a low hemoglobin/hematocrit. There are many potential
causes, including iron deficiency, which as you say can be common. Another
reason for this in pregnancy is dilutional - the total blood volume is so
much greater than when not pregnant, so the H/H can appear low as a
percentage of the total volume.

"medgirl" wrote in message
...
"Mum of Two" wrote in message
...
"medgirl" wrote in message
...
"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
aka erythrocyte sedimedtaion rate


This test is notoriously non-specific. As Ericka mentioned, it must be
adjusted for anemia. Anemia is very common in pregnancy, especially
towards the end, so this alone could change it.

Really? While a lowering of the haemoglobin in pregnancy is normal, I
wouldn't have thought anaemia was common. Iron deficiency OTOH seems to
be a common occurance in the last few months of pregnancy.

Anemia just means a low hemoglobin/hematocrit. There are many potential
causes, including iron deficiency, which as you say can be common.
Another reason for this in pregnancy is dilutional - the total blood
volume is so much greater than when not pregnant, so the H/H can appear
low as a percentage of the total volume.

I know what anaemia is, but I wouldn't have thought it was that common ;-)
I guess it depends on the 'normal' parameters the lab uses. Whether there
have been other studies to back it up, I don't know, but I read that the
lowering of haemoglobin in late pregnancy was normal, even perhaps
'protective' - women with a haemoglobin over 146 in the third trimester were
twice as likely to have a stillbirth (I could be off with this because I
can't find the study right now and I'm quoting from memory). Anecdotally, I
had a haemoglobin of around 148 with DS, stillborn, and a much lower but
still normal haemoglobin with DD (I wasn't anaemic). Of course as you
indirectly point out, one cause of this could be dehydration, but I drank a
lot of water late in my pregnancy with DS.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/