Metabolic and Kidney Tests

Blood tubes and a sample cup on a dark laboratory bench
Kidney tests measure waste products such as creatinine in blood and urine
Infographic: blood in, filter, urine out
Creatinine, cystatin C and the estimated glomerular filtration rate together estimate how well the kidneys filter blood
3D illustration of the two kidneys and their blood vessels
The kidneys filter waste from the blood into the urine

The Tests (11)

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Kidney Function

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and cystatin C together estimate how well the kidneys filter blood, used to screen, stage and monitor kidney disease.

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Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

This 14-test blood panel adds liver enzymes, proteins and bilirubin to the basic panel, covering blood sugar, kidneys, electrolytes and liver in one draw.

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Calcium

Measures total and ionized calcium in blood to check for high or low levels; albumin shifts can move the total without changing active calcium.

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Urinalysis

Visual, dipstick and microscope examination of urine that can flag problems in the kidneys, urinary tract, liver and metabolism, often before symptoms appear.

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Magnesium Test

Serum and red-blood-cell tests for magnesium, a cofactor in hundreds of reactions; a normal serum result can hide depleted body stores.

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Microalbumin ACR

A urine test for small amounts of leaking albumin, often the earliest sign of kidney strain in diabetes or high blood pressure.

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Basic Metabolic Panel

Eight blood chemistry measurements from one tube — glucose, calcium, electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine — a quick snapshot of kidneys, fluids and blood sugar.

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Uric Acid

Blood level of uric acid, the end product of purine breakdown, used to check gout and kidney-stone risk and studied as a cardiovascular marker.

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Cystatin C

A blood protein made steadily by nearly every cell, used to estimate kidney filtration with far less influence from muscle mass than creatinine.

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Ammonia

A blood test for ammonia, a protein-breakdown waste the liver clears, used to check confusion in liver disease; the sample needs careful, rapid handling.

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Lactate

Measures blood lactate, which climbs when tissues are starved of oxygen; ordered in sepsis and shock, where its trend over time matters most.

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Electrolytes, waste products and kidney filtration. These are the panels ordered most often, because they are the ones that change first when something is going wrong.

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