Photo by Dr. Haus
CHEM (Chemistry)
A CHEM is short for the blood test called a chemistry. A chemistry measures the amount of different substances in the patient's bloodstream.
Some examples of what is measured in a CHEM are...
Organ Function (kidneys, liver, etc.)
Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.)
Other substances (glucose, protein, etc.)
Why is a CHEM important?
A CHEM is important to get a baseline understanding of a patient's overall health. The CHEM measures important values related to the body's function. A value in the CHEM may be increased or decreased compared to normal. This helps a medical professional narrow down what might be causing the patient's illness.
There are countless reasons why a specific value may be increased or decreased in a patient and this is where the clinician takes all the information from the signalment, history, physical exam, and diagnostic testing to come up with a plan for the patient.
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