What a CMP Is — and What Australia Calls It
"CMP" stands for comprehensive metabolic panel — an American grouping of around 14 blood chemistry tests run together. If you have seen the term on an overseas result, a US health app, or in an answer from an AI assistant, it helps to know that Australian pathology labs do not use the label "CMP". The same information is simply split across two familiar Australian requests, plus a few extras:
- EUC / UEC — electrolytes, urea and creatinine (kidney function and fluid balance).
- LFTs — liver function tests.
- Plus glucose, calcium and total protein / albumin.
Bundled together, your GP might call this a "biochemistry", "general chemistry" or simply a "chem" panel. So if you are trying to match a CMP to what you can get here, the short answer is: order a UEC and an LFT, and you have covered almost the entire panel.
What a CMP Includes
| Group | Tests |
|---|---|
| Kidney function | Urea, creatinine, eGFR |
| Electrolytes | Sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate |
| Liver function | ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin |
| Protein | Total protein, albumin |
| Metabolic | Glucose, calcium |
Typical Australian Reference Ranges
Ranges vary between laboratories — always read each result against the figure printed on your own report — but the values below are typical for Australian adults.
| Test | Typical adult range |
|---|---|
| Sodium | 135–145 mmol/L |
| Potassium | 3.5–5.2 mmol/L |
| Chloride | 95–110 mmol/L |
| Bicarbonate | 22–32 mmol/L |
| Urea | 2.5–7.5 mmol/L |
| Creatinine | ~45–110 µmol/L (men higher) |
| eGFR | ≥90 mL/min/1.73m² (≥60 acceptable) |
| Glucose (fasting) | 3.0–5.5 mmol/L |
| Calcium (corrected) | 2.10–2.60 mmol/L |
| Total protein | 60–80 g/L |
| Albumin | 35–50 g/L |
| Bilirubin | <20 µmol/L |
| ALT / AST | ~5–40 U/L |
| ALP | 30–110 U/L |
| GGT | <50 U/L (varies by sex) |
Do You Need to Fast for a CMP?
The kidney, liver, electrolyte and protein parts do not require fasting. The exception is glucose: if your GP is using it to screen for or monitor diabetes, you may be asked to fast for 8–12 hours beforehand. If you are unsure, follow the instructions on your pathology request form or ask the collection centre — when in doubt, fasting is the safer option.
What Abnormal Results Can Mean
- Kidney — a high urea or creatinine, or an eGFR below 60, can indicate reduced kidney function.
- Electrolytes — sodium and potassium that are too high or too low affect fluid balance, blood pressure and, in the case of potassium, the heart.
- Liver — raised ALT, AST, ALP or GGT point to liver-cell stress; see our LFT guide.
- Glucose — a raised fasting glucose can signal pre-diabetes or diabetes.
- Calcium and protein — abnormalities can reflect bone, parathyroid, kidney or nutritional issues.
Will Medicare Cover It?
Yes. The Australian components of a CMP — UEC, LFTs, electrolytes, glucose and calcium — are all standard Medicare items that pathology providers bulk-bill when your GP provides a referral with a clinical reason. You usually pay nothing out of pocket. Tests you request yourself without a referral may attract a fee.
How to Track Your Results Over Time
A chemistry panel is most useful when you can see it change — a creatinine creeping up, a glucose drifting toward the diabetic range, or liver enzymes settling with lifestyle changes. Keeping every component side-by-side across tests turns a one-off snapshot into a trend you and your GP can act on. You can store and chart them all with BloodTrack.
This guide is general information for an Australian audience and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Reference ranges vary between laboratories — always read each result against your own lab's printed range, and discuss any abnormal result with your GP.