Chemistry Screen
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Test Overview
A chemistry screen is a blood test that measures the levels of several areas or parts of the blood (such as electrolytes). A chemistry screen tells your doctor about your general health, helps look for certain problems, and finds out whether treatment for a specific problem is working.
Some chemistry screens look at more parts of the blood than others do. The most complete form of a chemistry screen (called a chem-20, SMA-20, or SMAC-20) looks at 20 different parts of the blood. Other types of chemistry screens (such as an SMA-6, SMA-7, or SMA-12) look at fewer. The type of chemistry screen you have done depends on what information your doctor is looking for.
For more information about specific parts of a chemistry screen, see the medical tests:
- Albumin
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)
- Bilirubin
- Blood Glucose
- Blood Urea Nitrogen
- Calcium (Ca) in Blood
- Carbon Dioxide
- Chloride (CL)
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests
- Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
- Lactic Acid
- Phosphate in Blood
- Potassium (K) in Blood
- Sodium (NA) in Blood
- Total Serum Protein
- Uric Acid in Blood
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| Last updated: | May 19, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC |
| Reviewed By: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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