Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in healthy first year medical students

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. 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. 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. We suggest that the reference values for ESR should be determined for various segments of the local population.