Erythrocyte sedimentation in cardiac failure.

It is generally believed that the erythrocyte sedimentation (E.S.R.) is retarded and tends to fall to normal when decompensation occurs in rheumatic fever and other heart diseases known to be associated with elevated values.2' 4, 5, 7. 9 Observations by McGinnis and co-workers,6 who excluded patients who presented evidence of other conditions known to lead to elevation of the E.S.R., however, disclosed that the majority of the patients with cardiac failure exhibited elevated values both initially and after recovery from failure. Their data indicated that the E.S.R. tends to be elevated in both acute and chronic congestive failure. Further adequate data on the subject do not seem to be available in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to report a study of the E.S.R. in I90 patients with cardiac failure.