CMP Interpretation

A comprehensive metabolic panel is a group of related measurements, not a single diagnosis. Its value comes from reading the results as a physiologic pattern and comparing them with symptoms, medications, urine output, and previous laboratory values. For Canadian practice, expect sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, glucose, and urea in mmol/L; creatinine and total bilirubin in µmol/L; ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT in U/L; and albumin and total protein in g/L. Reference intervals vary by laboratory, so use the reporting laboratory’s range for routine interpretation while applying validated clinical thresholds for emergencies. A useful sequence is to identify immediate electrolyte danger, assess kidney clearance and its trend, interpret glucose with bicarbonate and ketones when indicated, and then distinguish liver-cell injury from impaired hepatic function. The surrounding clinical story determines whether a result represents disease, treatment effect, sampling error, or a time-critical emergency.