Basic Metabolic Panel
Topic OverviewA basic metabolic panel is a blood
test that measures your sugar (glucose) level,
electrolyte and fluid balance, and
kidney function. Glucose is a type of
sugar your body uses for energy. Electrolytes keep your body's fluids in
balance. They also help keep your body working normally, including your heart
rhythm, muscle contraction, and brain function. The kidneys help keep the right
balance of water, salts, and minerals in the blood. Kidneys also filter out
waste and other unneeded substances from the blood. If you take
any medicines, such as diuretics for
high blood pressure, your doctor may order a basic
metabolic panel to see if the medicines are affecting your kidneys or your electrolytes. Your doctor also may order
this panel as part of a regular health examination or to help diagnose a
medical condition. This panel measures the blood levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium, and sodium. You may be asked to stop eating and drinking for 10 to 12
hours before you have this blood test. ReferencesOther Works Consulted- Chernecky CC, Berger BJ (2013). Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, 6th ed. St. Louis: Saunders.
- Fischbach FT, Dunning MB III, eds. (2009). Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, 8th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
- Pagana KD, Pagana TJ (2010). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests, 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby.
CreditsByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerBrian D. O'Brien, MD - Internal Medicine Current as ofOctober 14, 2016 Current as of:
October 14, 2016 Last modified on: 8 September 2017
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