Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with positive sputum for AFB and negative HIV serological test

Abstract

The goals of this study are detection of  the prevalence of  ESR elevation in patients whosuffering from pulmonary tuberculosis with positive sputum for acid fast bacilli and negative serological test for HIV, and showingthe effect of normal  ESR ondiagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis. 37 patients of pulmonary TB with sputum positive for AFB and negative serological test for HIV, were involved in this retrospective study over145 days,at major TB center of Al-Hillacity, Iraq.The Westergren method used for detection of ESR for all patients. Of the total 37 patients involved in this study 21(57%) were males and 16(43%) were females. The ages of the male patients ranged from 21-82 years, and the females from 23-75 years in addition to one girl with age of 5-year. 22(59.5%) patients cigarette smoker and 15(40.5%) non smoker. 3 patients (8.1%) with ESR less than 20mm/hr, 13 patients (35.1%) with ESR 20-40mm/hr,12 patients (32.4%) with ESR 41-60mm/hr and  9 patients (24.3%) more than 60 mm/hr. According to dependent normal range in this study 7(19 %) patientswith normal ESR. 19% of patients involved in this study have normal ESR, so the pulmonary TB should be expected in any patient with suggestive clinical features even when the ESR is normal  specially in an endemic area as in Iraq, and it is clear from result above that the smoking is important risk factor for pulmonary TB.