Metabolic Panel Components and Clinical Applications

Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) Components

The American College of Cardiology recommends measuring glucose, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and calcium as part of a basic metabolic panel to assess blood sugar levels, electrolyte balance, and kidney function in patients with suspected medical conditions 1

A comprehensive metabolic panel includes all components of the basic metabolic panel, and is used for initial evaluation of patients with suspected medical conditions, screening for electrolyte imbalances, and assessment of kidney function, as recommended by the American College of Cardiology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology 1, 2, 3

Metabolic panels are commonly ordered for initial evaluation of patients with suspected medical conditions, such as hypertension, and for screening for electrolyte imbalances, with a strength of evidence level of moderate to high, according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology 3
The American College of Cardiology recommends using metabolic panels to assess kidney function and detect secondary causes of hypertension, with a strength of evidence level of high 1
The Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends using metabolic panels to evaluate liver function and detect paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with kidney cancer, with a strength of evidence level of moderate 4

In stroke patients, metabolic panels help rule out metabolic causes of stroke-like symptoms and assess eligibility for thrombolytic therapy, as recommended by the Stroke journal 2
In kidney cancer evaluation, metabolic panels provide information about renal function and detect paraneoplastic syndromes, with a strength of evidence level of moderate, according to the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 4, 5

Abnormal electrolyte values may indicate dehydration, kidney dysfunction, or endocrine disorders, with a strength of evidence level of high, according to the American College of Cardiology 1
Elevated BUN and creatinine suggest impaired kidney function, with a strength of evidence level of high, according to the American College of Cardiology and the Hepatology journal 1, 6

A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) includes 14 tests measuring kidney function, electrolytes, glucose, and liver function: sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide, chloride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glucose, calcium, albumin, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin, according to the Arthritis and Rheumatology guidelines 7
The American College of Rheumatology recommends assessing liver synthetic function and nutritional status through albumin levels, and evaluating overall protein status and liver function through total protein levels 7, 8

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) for initial cancer workup, including renal cell carcinoma and myeloproliferative neoplasms 8
The American College of Rheumatology suggests using a CMP as part of tier 1 screening for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) 7