Suggest treatment for elevated esr and wbc count in blood
Patient: i am 49 yr old male with a good medical histroryl.i developed sore throat when on holiday two weeks ago with persistent fever and swollen lymph nodes the fever is on and off and reaches 39C but has been 37.00 for the past 24 hrs. the doctor suggested blood tests which showed normal levels but high ESR 100 and WBC 12000. he suggested to consult an oncologist if it stays high. should i worry Doctor: Hello and welcome to HCM,High white blood cell (WBC) count is due to infection.Infections cause an increase in WBC counts.A differential count is required to know the type of infection -bacterial or viral.A high ESR is not specific for any disease but it is elevated in chronic inflammations.Fever with enlarged lymph nodes and elevated ESR is an indication for conducting investigations for a malignant lesion e.g. lymphoma.Thus, consult your physician for aspiration cytology from the lymph node.Aspiration will detect the cells in the enlarged lymph node and thus, help to determine the cause of lymph node enlargement.Definite treatment will be started once diagnosis is confirmed.Thanks and take careDr Shailja P Wahal