The decrease in erythrocyte sedimentation rate related to general anesthesia

The aim of this study was to investigate whether general anesthetic agents change erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) affecting erythrocytes' shape and membrane structure in routine clinical dose manner. Forty patients (23 female and 17 male) undergoing elective surgery were included to the study. Blood samples were obtained just before induction of the anesthesia and 10 minutes after endotracheal intubation. The ESR was measured using Test-1 ESR analyzer. ESR values of the second blood samples were significantly lower than the first values (p < 0.001). At the beginning, the ESR was 18.1 +/- 11.5 mm/h, and then it decreased to 13.1 +/- 9.3 at 10th minutes. Our results indicated that anesthetic agents affected the ESR. No increase was observed in the second ESR values which were equal to, or less than the first values. General anesthesia may lead to this decrease changing electrolyte balance of erythrocyte, affecting ligands of agglomerins in membrane directly and indirectly, or changing discoid shape of erythrocyte.