The test gives information about your liver and kidney functioning, fluid balance, andelectrolyte levels.
It also provides information about your body’selectrolytesand fluid balance.
A CMP is typically done as part of your yearly checkup.
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It can also be ordered if you are ill and hospitalized.
These conditions include:
The CMP doesn’t necessarily diagnose a single condition.
A CMP test shows the following measurements.
Your AST or ALT may be high for several reasons, not all of them serious.
Your healthcare provider will need to diagnose the exact reason for high AST and/or high ALT.
It includes the same CMP measurements minus the liver and protein tests.
Your healthcare provider may order this test if, for example, liver function isn’t a concern.
Before the CMP Test
A complete metabolic panel takes only a few minutes.
It may be done at your healthcare provider’s office or lab facility.
It may also be done in an ER setting or if you’ve been admitted to the hospital.
During the CMP Test
A metabolic panel is based on a single blood draw.
You will be allowed to leave right after the test.
Your sample will then be sent to a lab for analysis.
Risks
A comprehensive metabolic panel is generally safe.
The only risks stem from the blood draw itself, and these tend to resolve quickly.
They are presented with normal ranges as well as your individual levels.
Your healthcare provider will typically look for patterns in various results rather than at one specific result.
Mildly higher or lower results in one area may not be medically significant.
In the case of someone hospitalized, multiple CMPs may be ordered on different days to monitor progress.
Your healthcare provider may interpret these results as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel test.
It may be used in the presence of other disease.
For example, the CMP may be used to assess people with COVID-19 infections.
However, other factors beyond expertise, including storage time, may alter the results.
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