Clinical value of blood sedimentation rate(with a ples for the adoption of a standardised and simple technique)

ABSTRACT

(1) The theoretical and practical requirements of an ideal method for determining the blood sedimentation rate are given (2) A simple method for estimating the sedimentation rate in the laboratory or at the bedside is described (3) The mechanism of sedimentration is discussed (4) An explanationis given for variotions of rate in physiological and pathological conditions (5) The diagnostc value of the test in various conditions including infective and inflammatory processes, is subjected to a critical review (6) Stress is laid on the value of normal figures ( a negative test), and upon the necessity for extreme caution in interpreting abnormal figure