title: Use of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the elderly.
abstract: Measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was introduced more than 70 years ago and is widely used as a simple test of chronic inflammatory activity. However, opinion is varied as to its usefulness in the elderly. In this paper the value and limitations of the test are examined and some guidelines for its use are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, London.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samadian
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics