Clinical significance of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in tuberculosis Sulochana Sonti1,*, Gayathri2,**, Siddartha Jalvadi Rahul3,***, Fathima Jennifer1,**** 1Professor of Pathology, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 2AHS MLT, Saveetha Medical College, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 3Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu *Corresponding Author E-mail: sulochanamaster@gmail.com
**gayathrijo1999@gmail.com
***rahul.siddhu03@gmail.com
****jfatima538@gmail.com
Online Published on 13 June, 2022. Abstract Background Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and still it is a common disease in developing countries. A variety of hematological parameters are studied in tuberculous patients such as decreased Hb(anemia), increased WBC count, increased ESR, and thrombocytopenia. Nowadays TB is a curable and preventable disease. The present study was undertaken to study the ESR values in TB patients and compare their values with Ziehl Nelson staining. Method The present study was carried out on 328 patients who had sputum smear-positive for AFB. based on the recommendation of the RNTCP grading system of AFB in Sputum Ziehl Nelson staining, the cases of PTB group were further categorized into four subgroups AFB- 3+, AFB - 2+, AFB -1+ and scanty. The ESR was performed by a rapidly modified Westergren method on EDTA whole blood sample. Results out of the 324 cases of tuberculosis collected from our hospital, male 252, female 72 from 14–80 years of age. ESR was elevated in patients with an increased grading of sputum positive (3+). The distribution of the mean value of, ESR in different grades of ZN staining of sputum in AFB positive patients was scanty(35.5), 1+(27.5), 2+(30.2),3+(42.4). respectively. Conclusion Our study concluded that active TB is associated mostly with very high ESR values (> 100 mm/h) and with markedly raised values in all the grades of sputum AFB positive patients. Top Keywords Tuberculosis, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Westergreens Method, AFB positive, ZN staining. Top |