The pipette commonly used in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) testing is a Westergren pipette.
Some key points about the Westergren pipette:
- It is a narrow, calibrated glass tube used to collect and deliver a standardized sample volume of blood for ESR testing.
- The pipette has graduations along its length indicating millimeters. This allows the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation to be measured over time.
- It delivers exactly 0.5 mL of well-mixed blood sample. Consistent sample volumes are important for the accuracy and reproducibility of ESR results.
- One end of the pipette is drawn out to form a small bore so blood can be drawn up via capillary action. The other end is fire-polished to create a smooth surface.
- Westergren pipettes ensure standardization so ESR results from the same patient or between patients can be properly compared. Automated ESR analyzers may use specialized pipettes as well.
So in summary, the specialized glass pipette developed by Westergren and bearing its name is exclusively used for manual measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test.
