Chloride Blood Test

What is a chloride blood test?

A chloride blood test measures the amount of chloride in your blood. Chloride is a type of electrolyte. Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that help control the amount of fluids and the balance of acids and bases (pH balance) in your body. You have electrolytes in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids.

Click here to get more.

You get chloride through the food you eat. It is mainly found in salt. Your body gets rid of the extra chloride in your urine (pee). Chloride helps control the amount of fluid in your body. In addition, it helps maintain healthy blood volume and blood pressure.

Many diseases and other factors can cause abnormal chloride levels. Chloride is often measured with other electrolytes to diagnose or monitor conditions such as kidney disease, heart failure, liver disease, and high blood pressure.

Other names: CI, Serum chloride

What is it used for?

You usually get a chloride test as part of a routine blood screening to check your general health. It's also used to help monitor or diagnose conditions related to an imbalance of acids or fluids in your body.

Why do I need a chloride blood test?

Your health care provider may have ordered a chloride blood test as part of an electrolyte panel, a routine blood test that measures chloride and other electrolytes, such as potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.

You may also need a chloride blood test if you have symptoms of an acid or fluid imbalance, including:

• Vomiting over a long period of time
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Dehydration
• Trouble breathing

What happens during a chloride blood test?

A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

You may need to stop taking certain medicines before this test, so tell your provider about everything you take. But don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.

If your provider has ordered other blood tests, you may need to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the test. Your provider will let you know if there are any special instructions.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

What do the results mean?

There are many reasons why your chloride levels may not be in the normal range.

High levels of chloride (hyperchloremia) may be a sign of:

• Dehydration.
• Kidney disease.
• Metabolic acidosis, a condition in which you have too much acid in your blood. It can cause nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

Low levels of chloride (hypochloremia) may be a sign of:

• Heart failure.
• Lung disease.
• Addison disease, a condition in which your body's adrenal glands don't produce enough of certain types of hormones. It can cause various symptoms, including weakness, dizziness, weight loss, and dehydration.
• Metabolic alkalosis, a condition in which you have too much base in your blood. It can cause irritability, muscle twitching, and tingling in the fingers and toes.

If your chloride levels are not in the normal range, it doesn't always mean you have a medical problem that needs treatment. Many things can affect your chloride levels, such as drinking too much fluid or losing fluid because of vomiting or diarrhea. Also, certain medicines, such as antacids, can cause abnormal results. To learn what your results mean, talk with your provider.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

Is there anything else I need to know about a chloride blood test?

Urine also contains some chloride. Your provider may also recommend a urine chloride test to get more information about your chloride levels.

References

1. Cleveland Clinic: Health Library: Diagnostics & Testing [Internet]. Cleveland (OH): Cleveland Clinic; c. Blood Tests; [reviewed Dec 06; cited Aug 02]; [about 16 screens]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/-blood-tests
2. Cleveland Clinic: Health Library: Diagnostics & Testing [Internet]. Cleveland (OH): Cleveland Clinic; c. Chloride Blood Tests; [reviewed Nov 04; cited Aug 02]; [about 9 screens]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/-chloride-blood-test
3. Labcorp [Internet]. Burlington (NC): Laboratory Corporation of America(r) Holdings; c. Patient Test Information: Chloride; [cited Aug 02]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.labcorp.com/tests//chloride
4. Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c. Acidosis; [reviewed Jul; cited Aug 02]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/acid-base-balance/acidosis
5. Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c. Adrenal Insufficiency); [reviewed Feb; cited Aug 02]; [about 6 screens]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/adrenal-gland-disorders/adrenal-insufficiency
6. Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co Inc.; c. Acidosis; [reviewed Jul; cited Aug 02]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/acid-base-balance/acidosis
7. Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c. Overview of Acid-Base Balance; [reviewed Jul; cited Aug 02]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/acid-base-balance/overview-of-acid-base-balance
8. Merck Manual Professional Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c. Acid-Base Disorders; [reviewed Jul; cited Aug 02]; [about 11 screens]. Available from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/acid-base-regulation-and-disorders/acid-base-disorders
9. Nemours KidsHealth [Internet]. Jacksonville (FL): The Nemours Foundation; c-. Getting a Blood Test; [reviewed Sep; cited Aug 02]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/blood-tests.html
10. Pathology Tests Explained [Internet]. Alexandria (Australia): Australasian Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine; c. Chloride; [reviewed Jun 01; cited Aug 02]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://pathologytestsexplained.org.au/ptests-pro.php?q=Chloride
11. Testing.com [Internet]. OneCare Media; c. Chloride: The Test; [modified Nov 29; cited Aug 02]; [about 8 screens]. Available from: https://www.testing.com/tests/chloride

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

What is a chloride blood test?

A chloride blood test (serum chloride) measures the level of chloride in your blood.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Link to T&P

Chloride is an electrolyte. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when they’re dissolved in a liquid. The electrolytes in your blood — chloride, sodium, potassium and bicarbonate — help control nerve and muscle function and maintain the acid-base balance (pH balance) of your blood and your water balance.

The amount of chloride in your blood is often measured along with other electrolytes to diagnose or monitor certain medical conditions, including:

• Kidney disease.
• Heart failure.
• Liver disease.
• High blood pressure.

What is a chloride blood test used for?

Healthcare providers usually don’t order individual chloride blood tests. Chloride blood tests are usually included in the following routine blood tests and screenings that measure multiple things in your blood:

• Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP).
• Basic metabolic panel (BMP).
• Electrolyte panel.
• Renal function panel (RFP).

Why do I need a chloride blood test?

Your healthcare provider may order a chloride blood test as part of a routine blood panel. They can also order a chloride blood test if you have symptoms of an acid or fluid imbalance, including:

• Experiencing multiple instances of vomiting.
• Having diarrhea.
• Feeling very tired (fatigue).
• Feeling weak.
• Experiencing dehydration.
• Having difficulty breathing.

Advertisement

What does a chloride blood test tell you?

The results of a chloride blood test, alongside the results of other electrolyte tests, can help diagnose a condition related to an imbalance of acids or fluids in your body.

How do I prepare for my chloride blood test?

You don’t need any special preparations for a chloride blood test or an electrolyte panel.

A chloride blood test may be part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel, which measures multiple things in your blood. In this case, you may need to not eat or drink (fast) for several hours before your blood draw. Your healthcare provider will let you know if you need to follow any special instructions.

What should I expect during my chloride blood test?

You can expect the following during a blood test:

1. A healthcare provider (usually a phlebotomist) will check your arms for an easily accessible vein. This is usually in the inner part of your arm on the other side of your elbow.
2. Once they’ve located a vein, they’ll clean and disinfect the area.
3. They’ll then insert a small needle into your vein to take a blood sample. This may feel like a tiny pinch.
4. After they insert the needle, a small amount of blood will collect in a test tube.
5. Once they have enough blood to test, they’ll remove the needle and hold a cotton ball or gauze on the site to stop the bleeding.
6. They’ll place a bandage over the site, and you’ll be finished.

What should I expect after my chloride blood test?

After a healthcare provider has collected your blood sample, they’ll send it to a laboratory for testing. Once the test results are back, your healthcare provider will share the results with you.

What type of results do you get for a chloride blood test?

Blood test reports, including chloride blood test reports, usually provide the following information:

• The name of the blood test or what was measured in your blood.
• The number or measurement of your blood test result.
• The normal measurement range for that test.
• Information that indicates if your result is normal or abnormal or high or low.

What is a normal chloride blood test result?

A typical normal range for a chloride blood test for an adult is 96 to 106 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) or 96 to 106 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). But laboratories may have different reference ranges for normal chloride levels. When you get your blood test results back, there will be information that indicates what that lab’s normal blood chloride range is. If you have any questions about your results, be sure to ask your healthcare provider.

What does a low chloride level mean?

If your results reveal that you have lower-than-normal levels of chloride in your blood, it may indicate that you have:

• Heart failure.
• Lung diseases, like emphysema.
• Addison’s disease.
• Metabolic alkalosis.

It’s important to remember that a low chloride result doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a medical condition. Certain situations and medications can also increase your chloride levels.

Advertisement

What does a high chloride level mean?

If your results reveal that you have higher-than-normal levels of chloride in your blood, it may indicate that you have:

• Dehydration.
• Kidney disease.
• Cushing’s syndrome.
• Metabolic acidosis.
• Respiratory alkalosis.

It’s important to remember that a high chloride result doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a medical condition. Certain situations and medications can also increase your chloride levels.

Should I be concerned if I have a low or high chloride blood test result?

If your chloride blood test results reveal that you have high or low levels of chloride, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a medical condition. Many factors can affect your chloride levels, including:

• Drinking excess fluids.
• Losing fluids due to vomiting or diarrhea.
• Certain medicines, like antacids.
• An error in the blood test collection.

Your healthcare provider will interpret your chloride result within the context of certain factors, like other test results and your medical history. If you have questions about your results, be sure to ask your healthcare provider for more information.

When should I know the results of my chloride blood test?

In most cases you should have your chloride blood test results within two business days.

For more Low Chloride Sodium Bicarbonateinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.