BMP
Basic Metabolic Panel is a blood test that measures your sugar (glucose) level, electrolyte, fluid balance, and kidney function. Glucose is a type of sugar that gives energy to the cells of your body. Electrolytes keep the right balance of your body's fluids and help keep your body working normally, including your heart rhythm, muscle contraction, and brain function. Kidneys keep the right balance of water, salts, and minerals in the blood. The 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 working. Your doctor also may order this panel as part of a regular health examination or to help diagnose a medical condition.

The Basic Metabolic Panel Measures:

• Glucose
  
• Calcium
  

Looks for increases and decreases.

Electrolytes

• Sodium
  
• Potassium
  
• CO2 (carbon dioxide, bicarbonate)
  
• Chloride
  

The concentrations of sodium and potassium are tightly regulated by the body as is the balance between the four tests.