A NEW BIOELECTRICAL-IMPEDANCE METHOD FOR MEASUREMENT OF THE ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION-RATE

A new bioelectrical impedance method was developed to determine the er ythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by measuring the settling velocity of red blood cells. A sample of blood was collected in a plastic tube with two electrodes, one positioned above the other. Measurements of e lectrical resistance were made in the upper region of the blood column . As the red blood cells settled towards the bottom of the container, the resistance decreased continuously. The velocity of settling red bl ood cells was calculated in 45 samples. The values obtained compared f avourably with the ESR determined by the standard Westergren method, g iving a correlation coefficient of 0.96 and a standard error estimatio n of 7.0 mm h(-1). We conclude that bioelectrical impedance can be use d to measure ESR accurately and that this method has important advanta ges over existing methods.