Survey of Changes in the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate at the Different Stages of Therapy by Westergren Method in the Patients of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Malwa Region of Madhya Pradesh

Tuberculosis, an ancient disease of man remains the most important specific communicable disease in the world caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis continues to be the biggest public health problem in terms of morbidity & mortality.

To study the changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate at the different period of therapy in Pulmonary tuberculosis.

A total of 50 untreated sputum positives well as negative cases of pulmonary tuberculosis admitted in TB chest department as well as out patients of Pulmonary Medicine department of Index Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Indore were included. Under aseptic precautions 5ml of blood collected from sputum positive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis as well as sputum negative in EDTA vacutainers & erythrocyte sedimentation rate were analysed using westergren tube at different period of therapy.

The study was conducted on 50 subjects of different age group. The sputum positive cases shows rise in ESR with different degree of mild, moderate & severe, While it decreases & comes to normal at different period of therapy as sputum negative cases which has already normal ESR range. So there was a significant post treatment improvement in ESR.

Blood changes in pulmonary tuberculosis are common in the form of increased ESR with degree of mild, moderate & severe rise at the beginning of therapy, Which decreases & comes to normal range at the different period of therapy, which can be used as a guide to assess the improvement of TB patients after therapy.