ESR rate in blood for children of different ages: standard values ​​and decoding. ESR in children - decoding: norms for age and reasons for deviation 7 months to a child soy 12 what does it mean

To do this, you should pay attention to factors such as:

1. Blood is donated on an empty stomach, so it is important that the blood is taken in the first hours after waking up. For infants and infants of the first year of life, the last meal should be 3-5 hours before blood sampling, otherwise false indicators cannot be avoided.
2. The day before, you should sleep well and rest, minimizing any physical activity that provokes an increase in the release of protein into the blood.
3. In the presence of the use of medications on an ongoing basis, the laboratory assistant should be informed and the appropriate note should be made.
4. It is not recommended to donate blood during menstruation, as it will be oversaturated with fibrinogen, which will ultimately lead to an accelerated ESR.

It is important to pay attention to nutrition, excluding the use of sweet confectionery and fatty meat foods, especially fast food, in 3-5 days.

Ask your question to the doctor of clinical laboratory diagnostics

Anna Ponyaeva. Graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Medical Academy (2007-2014) and the Residency in Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostics (2014-2016).

A blood test is carried out for children for preventive purposes and if a certain disease is suspected. One of the indicators by which it is determined whether any pathological conditions are present in the body is. What does this indicator mean in the analysis results. What are the ESR norms in children? What are the main reasons for the increase and decrease in the indicator?

Children are usually prescribed this study for preventive examinations. In addition, the results of the analysis help to establish a diagnosis if an inflammatory process occurs in the body. During inflammation, the accumulation of substances begins, which accelerates adhesion, and ESR is an indicator of the rate of sedimentation of red blood cells. It is determined during research.

The settling rate reacts to any disturbance in the body. These changes are observed on the result of the analysis, even in the period when the disease is just incipient, and the accompanying symptoms are absent. Therefore, if the necessary measures are taken, then serious complications can be avoided.

To find out the speed of erythrocyte sedimentation, the blood is influenced by an anticoagulant.

As a result, following the law of gravity, the red bodies go down to the bottom of the vessel. To determine the ESR, look at the height of the upper layer, which was formed within sixty minutes. The height is then measured in millimeters.

This property of blood can be determined in the following ways:

1. Westergren's method. It is more reliable. For it, blood from a vein is used, and it is carried out in a vertical test tube. This method is most often used in private clinics.
2. Panchenkov's method. Following the Panchenkov method, blood is placed on a vertically placed tube - Panchenkov's capillary. In public medical institutions, this particular diagnostic method is often used.

The settling rate can vary for a variety of reasons. At an elevated level, a re-examination is prescribed after a few days.

It is important to know that it is not enough to determine the diagnosis of ESR. The specialist takes into account all the analysis indicators - the level,. If necessary, appoint additional diagnostic methods.

Preparing for the study and performing the procedure

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is sensitive to many factors. Therefore, it is necessary to know the features of preparation for analysis.

Before examining, it is important to observe the following rules:

• It is not recommended to eat before donating blood. The procedure is best done on an empty stomach. Especially affects fried and fatty foods. Its intake should be limited for a couple of days before the study.
• The outcome may be influenced by recent physical therapy or x-rays.
• It is desirable that the baby is in a good mood. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent children's crying and stressful situations, since these conditions affect the rate of blood cell sedimentation.
• Before conducting the analysis, you should rest for fifteen minutes after walking to the laboratory.
• Exercise should be avoided before the procedure.
• Parents should also inform the specialist if the child took any medication the day before, since some of them can also affect the ESR result.

For children, blood is taken from the ring finger for analysis. It is pierced with a scarifier. The amount of blood required for the analysis is collected in a test tube.

Under the force of gravity, red blood cells begin to communicate with each other. The blood outside the body is divided into a viscous and liquid part. To determine the result, one milliliter of liquid is left in the test tube for one hour. After this time has elapsed, the length of the colorless portion formed is measured in millimeters. The laboratory assistant enters the result into the form.

Explanation: ESR norms in children

Normal ESR values ​​in the blood of a child vary depending on age

ESR rates differ in children, depending on the measure of their growing up. Low sedimentation rate in infants as a result of the peculiarities of protein metabolism in the body.

Normal cell sedimentation rate results in children are as follows:

• From twelve years old - from 3 to 15 mm
• From eight years old - from 4 to 12 mm
• Up to five years - from 5 to 11 mm
• Up to a year - from 3 to 10 mm
• Up to six months - from 4 to 6 mm
• Up to two months - from 2 to 6 mm
• Newborn - 2 to 2.8 mm

It is important to note that this is the rate of erythrocyte cell sedimentation per hour.

Boys have lower ESR than girls. For boys in adolescence, the norm is considered to be from 1 to 10 mm per hour, while for girls at this age, the norm is from 2 to 15 mm. Also, the level depends on the time of day - from lunch to evening, ESR often rises.

There are also certain periods of increase in the indicator: 28 to 31 days from the birthday of the baby and two years of age (at this stage, the speed can increase up to 17 mm.

Increased ESR

The high sedimentation rate of red cells indicates that inflammatory processes begin in the body. When an increase in ESR is observed simultaneously with a high level of leukocyte cells, this may indicate acute inflammation.

In infants, an increase in ESR can be provoked by the following reasons:

• Vitamin deficiency.
• Teething.
• Taking medications containing ibuprofen or paracetamol.
• Helminthiasis.
• Weakened immunity.

If a woman who is breastfeeding has included fatty foods in her diet, this factor also contributes to an increase in the indicator. In addition, a syndrome of increased ESR can be observed in children, which is an individual feature of the body.

Among the possible diseases that affect the acceleration of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the following can be distinguished:

• Tonsillitis
• ARVI
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Flu
• Cystitis
• Tuberculosis
• Sepsis
• Pyelonephritis
• Oncological diseases (lymphoma, leukemia)
• Meningococcal infection
• Herpes
• Otitis

Infections also include measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, rubella, typhus, mumps, polio. An increased value in frequent cases indicates these infectious diseases.

For statistics, most often a high indicator indicates the presence of an infectious disease, oncological processes, less often it is provoked by rheumatic diseases and renal failure (glomerulonephritis, colic, nephrotic syndrome).

Useful video - Blood test in children:

ESR increases with inflammation in tissues and organs, purulent processes, metabolic disorders. Affect the indicator of endocrine system diseases (hypothyroidism,), autoimmune diseases, pathologies, diseases of the biliary tract. Sometimes this process can provoke diseases of the blood and heart. Injuries and burns, intoxication are also considered to be the reasons for the high rate. There is an increase in the rate of erythrocytes in the postoperative period.

An excessive increase in ESR can be a sign of Waldenstrom's syndrome, multiple myeloma, and vasculitis. A high value can be provoked by immature red cells, hyperproteinemia.

It is important to note that in the period after the illness, an increase in ESR can be observed for some time - sometimes up to three months. To determine if a disease is causing a high rate, you need to look at other symptoms. Diseases may be indicated by changes in external behavior: loss of appetite, drowsiness, inactivity, moodiness. If an increase in the indicator provoked an acute inflammatory process, then hyperthermia may be observed.

Decreased ESR

Is it worth worrying if the baby's ESR is increased or decreased?

If a child runs, jumps, plays and eats well, and his ESR is higher or lower than normal, parents need to think about it. A clinical blood test, in which you can see erythrocytes quickly or slowly settle during a special reaction, is given in order to identify diseases that are often latent in nature. The results of determining the erythrocyte sedimentation rate are the basis for further examinations of the child, if even one indicator went beyond the normal range.

If a child runs, jumps, plays and eats well, and his ESR is higher or lower than normal, parents need to think about it.

A healthy child may also have an increased ESR, but most often the changes are a consequence of a latent pathology or disease. There is always a reason for the changes that occur in the blood. If the reasons are negative, the doctor prescribes treatment: after the child recovers, the ESR should return to normal.

What is ESR and how is its value determined

Seeing on a piece of paper in a child's card the numbers marked by medical workers as indicators that do not correspond to the standard values, you should not immediately panic. It is better to find an answer to the question for what the ESR is measured - the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and what the change in this indicator means.

Having donated blood from the baby's finger, parents can find out in an hour whether the ESR is increased. Panchenkov's method, which is used to determine the ESR value in clinics and hospitals, allows you to quickly get a result.

When donating capillary blood, it is important to ensure that blood is collected from the ring finger of a small patient without additional pressing of the medical staff. Blood, which mixes with lymph when pressed and does not flow out on its own, will give a distorted result at the output: its biochemical and cellular composition will be changed.

After mixing the blood with an anticoagulant in a capillary - a special flask, an hour later the plasma column is measured, which remained after submersion to the bottom of the erythrocytes. This distance is measured in a vertically located capillary and is the desired value: how many mm erythrocytes have descended per hour.

If the erythrocytes were promptly at the bottom, the ESR was increased, if they were drowning slowly, it was lowered.

In boys and girls in the period from 6 years to adolescence, the normative values ​​of ESR will repeatedly change, therefore, decoding should be carried out taking into account age-related changes for each child individually.

Normal indicators and decoding for newborns and babies in the first five years of life do not depend on gender, and from 6 years old, a fork of values ​​will correspond to each sex and age: the table of standard indicators will become an important help for parents when deciding whether to further examine the child.

ESR studies in the described way, which are carried out in all polyclinics, can be confirmed by donating additional blood from a vein and determining the erythrocyte sedimentation rate by the Westergren method. Abroad, this test is considered more reliable in determining ESR, since it has a high specificity, takes into account all the nuances of changes that occur in the blood during the reaction. It is not necessary to specially prepare the child for the analysis; the only requirement is the absence of breakfast before the blood collection.

The results of the clinical analysis determine which diagnostic methods the doctor will apply in the future. The growth rate of the indicators helps to decide whether further research is needed and what it should be.

Physiological causes of increased ESR

Blood from a finger or a vein is taken from the child in the morning. If, upon admission to the hospital or for other reasons, do this during the day, you can get completely different data: at this time of day, an increase in ESR is often observed.

There are other physiological reasons that can give an increased ESR in the blood even in a healthy child.

It is necessary to take into account the nutritional aspects of breastfeeding: babies are dependent on the mother's nutrition. If her food is too fatty or not saturated with vitamins, the child will have a jump in ESR.

If the nutrition of the mother and baby can be adjusted responsibly, no one will be able to avoid teething. During this period, not only the child's behavior and other external manifestations of his internal well-being change: the ESR will also change upward. The reasons for the increase in ESR in the blood of children are both physiological and pathological in nature.

The physiological characteristics of the child's body tend to influence the increase in ESR, but often the reason for the increase in ESR in the blood is the child's illness.

In what diseases is ESR increased?

High ESR in a child is one of the diagnostically significant markers of health problems. Problems such as bleeding and autoimmune processes lead to it. Many cases of increased ESR are associated with inflammation and pathologies: with pathologies of the liver and kidneys in childhood, there is often a change in the level of ESR in the blood. 23% of changes are associated with the occurrence of neoplasms, and not always benign.

Increased ESR with infections

When a child is poisoned with something, ate a poor-quality product, he starts vomiting and diarrhea: ESR automatically increases. Intoxication of the body also occurs with viral and bacterial infections and leads to changes in the blood. Some infections (herpes, pneumonia) do not always manifest themselves in vivid symptoms: an infectious focus helps to identify an increased ESR.

If monocytes have grown, ESR is increased by more than 30 mm / h, but the process is asymptomatic, other studies need to show that the child is sick and needs treatment, not always recognized by the parents: diagnostics may require new laboratory tests.

If an increase in ESR is the only symptom and blood was donated only for prevention, you should still look for the reasons for the deviation of ESR from the norm, so as not to miss a latent infection and start treating it in time.

Increased ESR in inflammatory diseases

Inflammatory diseases are also the cause of increased ESR in children. Inflammation begins to develop after the penetration of pathogenic microbes into the child's body, as well as bacteria and viruses. Regardless of whether a child has an infection or not, the ratio of proteins in his blood to inflammation changes. This is manifested in an increase in ESR. Severe inflammations can make the ESR jump several times, light forms give erythrocytes a slight acceleration.

Deviation of ESR from the norm

ESR normative indicators are shifting not only upwards. The result of clinical analysis is a low erythrocyte sedimentation rate. A child who for some reason does not finish eating, eats only vegetarian food, will have a low ESR. Failure of water-salt metabolism also leads to such consequences.

In addition to physiological and pathological reasons, the deviation of ESR from the norm is associated with psychological reasons. A visit to the clinic does not make most children happy, but it provokes strong feelings. A baby who cried when blood was taken from a finger or a vein will have an increased ESR.

When increased ESR is the only symptom

Based on the fact that the ESR indicator in the child has deviated from the normative, no one recognizes him as sick. It can take a long time between the wording "bad tests" and a specific diagnosis. During this time, parents will have to carry containers with feces and jars of urine to the clinic, take the child for an ultrasound scan or X-ray.

Regardless of the results of the analysis, treatment for the child is prescribed only when the disease is diagnosed, all the factors that influenced the change in ESR are identified.

When the ESR soared up for unknown reasons, hormonal research, as well as an extended blood test - biochemical, sugar and C-reactive protein - can provide additional opportunities for diagnosing the disease.

Only after carrying out the necessary studies, when the clinical picture becomes clear, the doctor will answer the question whether the increased ESR is associated with the child's illness: after all, the ESR also increases with a change in his physiological state.

How to bring ESR indicators back to normal

An increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate is not a disease for which treatment can be offered. The level of ESR in the blood, which has jumped due to infection or inflammation, will return to normal only after drug treatment, which will stop this process. The doctor prescribes antibiotics and antiviral drugs in order to stop the disease: when the treatment is effective, the control monitoring of the blood shows the normalization of the ESR indicator.

When the child has insignificant deviations from the norm in the analysis, it is possible, with the consent of the doctor, to use the methods of traditional medicine to increase the ESR.

ESR can be reduced to standard indicators by regularly giving the child beetroot dishes. Folk recipes also include natural honey and citrus fruits: this combination will also improve ESR indicators. You can add nuts to cereals, especially almonds and peanuts, raisins and bran, include in the menu and other foods that are high in fiber, as well as food of animal origin. Between meals, it is useful to drink herbal infusions, you can give mashed garlic with lemon juice.

Vitamin complexes also contribute to the normalization of the child's body: which vitamins and how much to take, the doctor should determine.

The ESR rate in children (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is an indicator of a complete blood count, reflecting the state of health. In the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, ESR increases.

What does ESR mean

One of the important indicators of a complete blood count is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) within one hour. It used to be called ROE (erythrocyte sedimentation reaction). In foreign literature, it is designated as Complete Blood Count (CBC), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Westergren ESR.

Determination methods

The main methods of determination are: the Westergren and Panchenkov method. The interpretation of the test results obtained using any of these methods is correct. The Westergren method is approved by the International Committee for Standardization of Blood Research.

Before determining this indicator, an anticoagulant (sodium citrate), a substance that prevents blood clotting, is added to the venous blood. The blood remains liquid, representing the blood plasma in which blood cells float: erythrocytes, etc.

The blood is left for an hour, and after this time the height of the transparent layer is measured, i.e. plasma, which is located above the settled blood cells. This value in mm / hour is the ESR. Currently, in many medical institutions, automatic devices are used to determine the indicator.

How is the analysis done

ESR blood test, and its rate in children depends on the age and state of their health. It reflects a balance between factors that increase erythrocyte deposition (eg, fibrinogen) and negatively charged erythrocytes. With an increase in blood plasma fibrinogen, immunoglobulins and other proteins, erythrocytes aggregate to form complexes, the deposition of which is accelerated under the influence of gravity.

A change in the ESR value can be observed already before the onset of symptoms of the disease, or in the absence of any disease, since it is very sensitive to many changes in the body.

The analysis is not carried out after physiotherapy procedures, X-rays, prolonged crying of the child and a hearty breakfast. It is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach, while the child should be calm.

ESR in the blood of children

Table - Normal ESR indicators in children

In newborns, the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation is low, because their metabolism is still reduced. ESR in the blood of children under one year old increases, as it depends on the activation of metabolic processes in the child's body. The peak of the indicator is observed from 27 to 32 days after birth, then its decrease is observed.

In adolescents, this analysis may depend not only on age, but also on gender. For example, in boys of 14 years old, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can be 2-11 mm / h, and in girls of the same age - 2-14 mm / h. However, these differences are not significant.

In children, an increased ESR value may result from:

• hypovitaminosis;
• stress (prolonged crying);
• taking medication (paracetamol);
• syndrome of increased ESR.

With the syndrome of increased ESR, it is necessary to do a blood test several times during the year to determine this indicator. If the child has no symptoms of the disease, he feels well, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate remains elevated, then the pediatrician may additionally recommend an analysis for C-reactive protein.

Increased value

High ESR in a child can be provoked by the following reasons.

• Hyperproteinemia... This is the name of the increased content of total protein in the blood. In the initial period of the disease, which is often called the "acute phase", the protein composition of the blood plasma begins to change. Disease is always stress for the child's body, therefore, the content of C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, cryoglobulin, gamma globulins, etc. increases. This leads to an increase in blood viscosity, therefore, the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation slows down, and ESR increases.
• Immature red blood cells... Another reason may be the appearance of immature forms of red blood cells. Usually, the indicator already rises 24-30 hours after the onset of the disease, which is characterized by the presence of a focus of inflammation. Prolonged inflammation increases the levels of immunoglobulins and fibrinogen.

Possible diseases

The reason for the increase in ESR in the blood in children may be the following diseases.

In addition, for many pathologies, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate can also be increased:

• anemia;
• myeloma;
• leukemia;
• lymphoma;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• diabetes;
• hemoglobinopathy;
• autoimmune diseases (lupus).

For some time after the child's recovery, the ESR value sometimes remains elevated (1-3 months). In oncological diseases, it is high for a long time.

False positive test

There are cases when some factors cause a long rise in this indicator. For example, the increased value can be when:

• anemia;
• taking vitamin A (retinol);
• obesity;
• kidney failure;
• vaccination against hepatitis B;
• hypercholesterolemia;
• hyperproteinemia.

If the child looks healthy, he has no complaints and any symptoms of the disease, and the ESR is increased in the child, then the pediatrician may prescribe additional methods for examining the tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, heart, kidneys, ECG, lung X-ray, blood tests to determine the content total protein, immunoglobulins, platelet and reticulocyte counts.

ESR helps to identify certain data on the child's health only in combination with other blood parameters, and, if required, with additional examination methods.

When a complete examination does not reveal any reason for the increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, then the pediatrician can draw a conclusion about the individual characteristics of the body. Sometimes ESR is elevated with all other normal blood parameters. In this case, it is necessary to repeat the analysis after a while to make sure that the child is healthy.

Is treatment necessary to normalize ESR

Usually the indicator returns to normal after recovery. Treatment is determined by a pediatrician, prescribing special medications that are necessary for recovery (antibiotics, antiviral drugs, antihistamines, etc.)

If the increase in the indicator is caused by a cause not related to an infectious disease or a focus of inflammation, then the doctor will prescribe other methods for correcting it.

There is a direct correlation between the activity of the pathological process and the level of ESR; the stronger and more extensive the inflammatory process, the higher the indicator. With a mild degree of the disease, the indicator normalizes faster than with a severe one. Therefore, its value reflects the success of the treatment.

With a long-term increase in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation, the doctor may recommend a blood test for C-reactive protein (CPR), which is a sensitive indicator of the inflammatory process.

Reduced value

In some cases, the reduced value of the indicator may be less than the established age norm of the child. Most often, with this condition, there is an increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood for various reasons:

A decrease in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is less common, however, after a while, it is necessary to repeat the analysis. The rate of ESR in the blood of children indicates that the child is healthy, therefore, a preventive examination and a blood test will help determine his condition.

Conclusion

ESR is a non-specific topical blood test that reflects the health status of the child. Its increase most often indicates the presence of an inflammation focus, and the value of the indicator reflects the activity of the pathological process.

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