Which of the following is a reason for decreased ESR?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a reason for decreased ESR?

The key idea is that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) rises when red cells tend to stack together and settle faster, and falls when that aggregation is impaired. Sickle cells are abnormally shaped and rigid, which disrupts the normal formation of rouleaux (the stacked arrangement of red cells). With less rouleaux formation, red cells don’t sediment as quickly, so the ESR decreases. The other factors promote faster sedimentation: rouleaux formation makes cells settle more rapidly, high fibrinogen increases plasma proteins that encourage stacking, and pregnancy brings physiological changes that raise ESR. Thus, the presence of sickle cells best explains a decreased ESR.

The key idea is that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) rises when red cells tend to stack together and settle faster, and falls when that aggregation is impaired. Sickle cells are abnormally shaped and rigid, which disrupts the normal formation of rouleaux (the stacked arrangement of red cells). With less rouleaux formation, red cells don’t sediment as quickly, so the ESR decreases. The other factors promote faster sedimentation: rouleaux formation makes cells settle more rapidly, high fibrinogen increases plasma proteins that encourage stacking, and pregnancy brings physiological changes that raise ESR. Thus, the presence of sickle cells best explains a decreased ESR.

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