Hiya, could you tell me what ESR. And CRP is, as I am... - NRAS
Hiya, could you tell me what ESR. And CRP is, as I am going into hospital on the 21st April im having a operation on my back,
hello beckleystuart, the ESR and CRP in blood testing are "inflamatory markers, electro-sediment rate, and c-reactive proteins. the higher the ESR rate the more inflamed and infection is The ESR and CRP per ml of blood is different in male/female and will differ in age groups. but is a guide for the doctor to see how active the chrones, rheumatoid, etc., is or any of the inflammatory diseases. hope this answer helps. regards bluetit33
I think bluetit has been hit by the spellchecker as ESR is erythrocyte sedimentation rate (erythrocytes are a type of blood cell) not electro-sediment. But makes little difference as still just a measure of inflammation or infection.
As a far as I understand, ESR measures longer term inflammation, CPR the shorter term, which is why some rheumatologists like to measure both.
And everyone is different, so the trend over time is important. A downward trend is a good thing.
Hi there
There is a link here to the section on the NRAS website that explains blood tests a little better but I've also copied and pasted the relevant sections which might help you. Good luck with the operation.
nras.org.uk/about_rheumatoi...
Which blood tests would normally be used for diagnosis of RA?
RF, ESR and CRP are commonly used for diagnosis. Where necessary anti-CCP tests may also be used (see below for information on each of these tests).
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
The ESR measures the degree of inflammation in the joints. Blood is taken and placed in a small, thin tube and the distance the red cells settle in one hour is measured. The more rapidly the red cells settle the more inflammation in the joints. One of the aims of treatment is to reduce the ESR to normal levels.
The C reactive protein (CRP)
The CRP also measures the degree of inflammation in the joints. The CRP is a protein produced in the liver when there is inflammation anywhere in the body. Special techniques have to be used to measure the CRP. The more inflammation in the joints the higher the CRP. The CRP is a more sensitive measure of inflammation than the ESR. This is because in the normal situation there is very little if any CRP in the blood.
Thank you,,
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Hi, I`ve not posted on here for a while,Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction. Because of my RA in my right foot my toes 
