Chloride
Chloride is one of the most important electrically charged minerals present primarily in the body (extracellular blood compartment serum or plasma). It helps in the homeostasis thus maintaining the amount of fluid inside and outside the cells. Chloride is an electrolyte (anion) which is working together with other electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The function of chloride has a key role in the regulation of body fluids, electrolyte balance, preservation of electrical neutrality, acid-base status. It leads to pathological conditions when its equilibrium is lost leading to conditions such as causing a strong anion gap, defective chloride channel, etc resulting in acidosis, alkalosis, cystic fibrosis, etc. This test evaluates the chloride level of the blood to monitor Acid-Base Balance to examine the treatment Process (prognosis).
Why Chloride Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
Chloride is one of the most important electrolytes (other than sodium, potassium, bicarbonates) in the human system that helps to maintain electrical neutrality at the cellular level (by moving into or out of the cells as needed). Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that regulate the fluid volume and electrolyte balance (of acid-bases – pH balance) in the body and monitor treatment (prognosis – effectiveness of treatment). It helps to maintain fluid homeostasis inside and outside the cells and thus regulates blood volume, blood pressure, and pH of body fluids. Symptoms that may indicate electrolyte (chloride) imbalance include excessive fatigue, muscle weakness, breathing difficulties, frequent vomiting, prolonged diarrhea, excessive thirst, and high blood pressure. Chloride Test helps measure the level of chloride in blood or urine, hence is ordered as a part of electrolyte panel or basic metabolic panel or during routine health check-up and also in some pathological conditions (abnormal levels of chloride). The main source of chloride for the body is food intake (consumption of food) and table salt. Most chloride is absorbed by the digestive tract and excess is eliminated in urine. Symptoms of low chloride (hyperchloremia) include fluid loss, dehydration, weakness or fatigue, difficulty in breathing (respiratory distress such as hyperventilation caused by respiratory alkalosis) diarrhea, and/or vomiting. Excessive secretion of certain hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone can also contribute to body fluid loss (leading to chloride depletion). Other causes of chloride imbalance include congestive heart failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, aldosterone deficiency, prolonged vomiting or gastric suction, Addison disease, emphysema, malabsorption syndrome, primary aldosteronism, chronic lung diseases can lead to respiratory acidosis and/or loss of acid from the body (Metabolic acidosis), etc. Symptoms of high chlorine (hyperchloremia) include kidney failure or kidney disorders, High levels of blood sodium, Cushing syndrome diabetes insipidus and/or diabetic coma, loss of body fluids from prolonged vomiting, sweating or high fever (dehydration), drugs like NSAIDs, Hormones (androgen, corticosteroids, estrogens) and certain diuretics, etc. Chlorine test is ordered as a part of electrolyte panel (sodium, potassium, chlorine, bicarbonates) in certain conditions such as kidney diseases, heart failure, liver diseases, and high blood pressure, etc that leads to an imbalance of fluids in the body. Other tests such as blood gases may also be ordered to further evaluate the severity and cause of extreme imbalance (acidosis or alkalosis).
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen - Blood sample collected from the vein. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
Sample Requirement: Blood Sample taken from the vein
Test Preparation: None
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RT DIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centers to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
