ESR, also known as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, is related to plasma viscosity, especially the aggregation force between erythrocytes. The aggregation force between red blood cells is large, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is fast, and vice versa. Therefore, erythrocyte sedimentation rate is often used clinically as an indicator of inter-erythrocyte aggregation. ESR is a non-specific test and cannot be used alone to diagnose any disease.

ESR is mainly used clinically for:

1. To observe the changes and curative effects of tuberculosis and rheumatic fever, the accelerated ESR indicates that the disease is recurring and active; when the disease improves or stops, the ESR gradually recovers. It is also used as a reference in diagnosis.

2. Differential diagnosis of certain diseases, such as myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, gastric cancer and gastric ulcer, pelvic cancerous mass and uncomplicated ovarian cyst. ESR was significantly increased in the former, while the latter was normal or slightly increased.

3. In patients with multiple myeloma, a large amount of abnormal globulin appears in the plasma, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is very significantly accelerated. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate can be used as one of the important diagnostic indicators.

4. ESR can be used as a laboratory indicator of rheumatoid arthritis activity. When the patient recovers, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can decrease. However, clinical observation shows that in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can decrease (not necessarily to normal) while the symptoms and signs such as joint pain, swelling and morning stiffness are improved, but in other patients, although the clinical joint symptoms have Completely disappeared, but the erythrocyte sedimentation rate still did not drop, and has been maintained at a high level.