Basic metabolic panel

The basic metabolic panel is a simpler version of the comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), which includes tests for liver function.

Components

The version with seven tests is often referred to by medical professionals in the United States as the "CHEM-7", or "SMA-7" (Sequential Multiple Analysis-7).

The seven parts of a CHEM-7 are tests for:

• Four electrolytes:
  • sodium (Na⁺)
  • potassium (K⁺)
  • chloride (Cl⁻)
  • bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) or CO₂
• blood urea (BU), blood urea nitrogen in the U.S.
• creatinine
• glucose

These levels, taken as a set, can be rapidly performed to indicate several common acute conditions requiring immediate specific medical treatment, such as dehydration/hypovolemia, water intoxication (which can present with similar symptoms to dehydration but requires the opposite treatment), diabetic shock (either ketoacidosis, hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia), congestive heart failure, kidney failure or liver failure, various substance overdoses or adverse reactions, and others. A Chem-7 is thus a vital tool when attempting to stabilize a patient.

Calcium (Ca²⁺) is often considered part of the BMP, though, by definition, it is not part of the CHEM-7. A basic metabolic panel including calcium is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "CHEM-8". Calcium, as an alkaline earth metal, is also an electrolyte, but abnormalities are more commonly associated with malnutrition, osteoporosis, or malignancy, especially of the thyroid.

In countries that do not use the CHEM-7 panel, a UEC typically does not include glucose but will often include an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).