Patient Education

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Sedimentation Rate (Sed Rate)

Test Overview

The sedimentation rate (sed rate) blood test measures how quickly red blood cells (erythrocytes) settle in a test tube in one hour. The more red cells that fall to the bottom of the test tube in one hour, the higher the sed rate.

When inflammation is present in the body, certain proteins, Opens dialog cause red blood cells to stick together and fall more quickly than normal to the bottom of the tube. These proteins are produced by the liver and the immune system, Opens dialog under many abnormal conditions, such as an infection, an autoimmune disease, Opens dialog, or cancer.

There are many possible causes of a high sedimentation rate. For this reason, a sed rate is done with other tests to confirm a diagnosis. After a diagnosis has been made, a sed rate can be done to help check on the disease or see how well treatment is working.

Current as of: April 30, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

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