Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in healthy first year medical students.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the reference value of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in young healthy individuals following the standardized criteria of the International Committee for Standardization in Hematology.


METHODS
The ESR was determined in a sample of 422 medical students of Karachi, Pakistan from the year 1998 to 2004. After considering exclusion criteria, the data of 311 students (132 males and 179 females) were analyzed.


RESULTS
The reference values found in this study are 0-13 in the 1st hour for healthy young males and 0-40 mm in the 1st hour for healthy young female students.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that the reference values for ESR should be determined for various segments of the local population.
Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, PO Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. siddiquii@ngha.med.sa
Imran A
IA
Siddiqui
Nadeem A
NA
Siddiqui
Jawed
J
Aziz
Amir
A
Omair
D000328:Adult; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D012016:Reference Values; D013337:Students, Medical