ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE BY VARYING THE CAPACITY OF THE STANDARDIZED PIPETTE DISPETTE IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a biological marker widely used to differentiate infectious and non-infectious processes, predict the severity of the process and initiate an appropriate therapeutic plan early, which is why it is considered a quick, simple and reliable diagnostic tool, low cost. The dispette system is based on the Westergren standard method for determining ESR, and its execution requires the use of automatic micropipettes for precise measurement and leveling of volumes. However, there are various modifications to the standard method aimed at reducing the test execution time, one of them consists of using the gauging technique or direct pulse leveling of the system. This common practice could lead to the addition of analytical errors if correct standardization of the technique is not carried out. In this sense, the objective of this study was to compare the ESR values obtained using the commercial Dispette (R) system, by applying the gauging technique indicated by the manufacturer and the direct pulse gauging technique. This research has a quantitative approach; it is comparative, transversal and experimental in design. The study population was made up of 40 pediatric patients treated at the Ant & iacute;mano Children's Nutritional Care Center, CANIA. The average ESR values resulting from both gauging techniques are very similar, as are the respective standard deviations. There is a direct linear correlation (0.858 mm; p-value=0.000) between both gauging techniques, therefore the ESR results are comparable..