| Show HEALTH HEAL TH I S Blood sediment test tes helps doctor analyze progress of infection L By By Dr James V Vt Barton arIon- arIon 1 UTHEN HEN an an infection oc oc- occurs occurs oc- oc WHEN W 1 V curs the body's defenses immediately use all their power to get it out or at least prevent it from doing much damage The body's heat js is increased to warm up the white corpuscles which also greatly increase in number the blood pressure increases making sure that all parts of the body will get a good sup sup- supply supply supply ply the heart rate increases to supply extra blood and re re- remove remove re- re remove move wastes from the tissues Thus a physician after taking tem tern temperature temperature heart rate blood pressure and examining the blood to see if white corpuscles have in increased creased in number 4 in 10 the proper pro proportion portion to the other findings knows k now n 0 w S Sr r whether the patients patient's defensive forces are putting up a good fight against the in L 4 Sometimes when Dr Barton an Infection remains a long time the body's defensive forces get tired and the ilie blood pressure tempera tempera- temperature ture and heart rate become lower or slower It is often of importance tance to the tle physician therefore in treating these prolonged Infections tuberculosis rheumatism and others oth ers ers to to know whether his patient Is I improving holding his own or be becoming coming worse method at Milwaukee To help him to to learn more ac accurately accurately the patients patient's condition what is known as the blood sedi sedimentation test is made Dr M. M G. G Peterman Milwaukee in the Wis Wis- Wisconsin Medical Journal descrIbes describe the method used at Milwaukee l Chil Children's Childrens Childrens Childrens drens dren's hospital One part of 2 to 5 per cent so so- sodium sodium citrate solution is mixed with four parts of freshly drawn blood from a vein The mixture is allowed to stand in a tube or syringe and the resulting fall of the red blood corpuscles is measured either in amount of serum liquid part of ol blood or in time for the red cor cor- corpuscles corpuscles to reach a certain mark The normal readings show a certain fraction of an inch clear serum liquid liquid part of the blood showing above the solid or clot part in one hall hour twice this amount in one hour and slightly more than four times the amount In two hours A number of tests are made Doctor Peterman makes this def def- definite mite statement Regardless of ol other findings temperature heart hear rate blood pressure a rapid rate o of sedimentation or settling down o othe of 01 the red corpuscles shows that there is a very active or acute inflammation tion present or the presence of an active growth such as cancer If i rate at which the red corpuscles sink becomes slower It is a sign o of recovery If rate becomes faster i it itIs itIs is a sign that patient is worse S |
