The student asks the registered nurse for information about the older patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).What information does the nurse provide? (Select all that apply. )
A)An elevated ESR indicates an inflammatory process in occurring.
B)A decreased ESR indicates the patient has an active infection.
C)Mild elevations in ESR may be a normal age-related change.
D)An elevated ESR is diagnostic for some type of cancer.
E)ESR findings should be interpreted in light of the clinical picture.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An elevated ESR indicates an inflammatory process is occurring, which could be due to a variety of reasons such as infection, autoimmune diseases, or cancer. Mild elevations in ESR may be a normal age-related change. ESR findings should be interpreted in light of the clinical picture, as it is not a specific test and can be influenced by many factors. A decreased ESR does not necessarily indicate an active infection. An elevated ESR alone is not diagnostic for cancer.

The Student Asks the Registered Nurse for Information About the Older