Sodium (Na) in Blood. Guide. A sodium test checks how much sodium is in the blood. Sodium is both an electrolyte and mineral. It helps keep the water (the amount of fluid inside and outside the body's cells) and electrolyte balance of the body. Sodium is also important in how nerves and muscles work.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/sodium-na-in-blood
This test measures the amount of bicarbonate, a form of carbon dioxide, in your blood. Bicarbonate, also known as HCO 3, is a byproduct of your body's metabolism. Your blood brings bicarbonate to your lungs, and then it is exhaled as carbon dioxide. Your kidneys also help regulate bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is excreted and reabsorbed by your kidneys. This regulates your body's pH, or acid balance.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=bicarbonate
The bicarbonate (or total CO 2) test is almost never ordered by itself. It is usually ordered along with sodium, potassium, and chloride as part of an electrolyte panel. The electrolyte panel is used to detect, evaluate, and monitor electrolyte imbalances. It may be ordered as part of a routine exam or to help evaluate a chronic or acute illness.
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/co2/tab/test
You may have the bicarbonate test to monitor issues that affect pH levels in your blood. You may also have this test if you have kidney disease, liver failure, or other conditions related to metabolism.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=bicarbonate
You may also need this test if your health care provider thinks you have a lung, liver, or digestive disease. This is because your body uses carbon dioxide to keep a healthy balance of acid-base (pH) and electrolytes. These diseases are linked to changes in levels of bicarbonate in the blood.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=carbon_dioxide_blood
Bicarbonate testing may be ordered, usually as part of an electrolyte panel when: 1  Someone is having a routine blood screen. 2  A doctor suspects that a patient may be retaining water or is dehydrated, upsetting their electrolyte balance. 3  A doctor wants to evaluate a patient’s acid-base balance (pH).
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/co2/tab/test
Why It Is Done. A blood test to check sodium levels is done to: 1  Check the water and electrolyte balance of the body. 2  Find the cause of symptoms from low or high levels of sodium. 3  Check the progress of diseases of the kidneys or adrenal glands.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/sodium-na-in-blood
This test measures how much carbon dioxide is in your blood. When you digest food, your body makes carbon dioxide as a waste product in the form of gas. Your blood carries this gas to your lungs. You exhale it and breathe in oxygen thousands of times a day. Carbon dioxide in your blood usually causes no problems.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=carbon_dioxide_blood
Most of the carbon dioxide in your body is in the form of bicarbonate. This is made by your kidneys. Bicarbonate is used to keep the acids and bases in your blood in balance. The test measures all types of carbon dioxide in your blood: bicarbonate, carbonic acid, and dissolved CO2. Because of this, it gives only an estimate of the amount of bicarbonate.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=167&ContentID=carbon_dioxide_blood
When bicarbonate levels are higher or lower than normal, it suggests that the body is having trouble maintaining its acid-base balance or that somone has upset their electrolyte balance, perhaps by losing or retaining fluid. Both of these imbalances may be due to a wide range of dysfunctions.
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/co2/tab/test
what is bicarbonate in a blood test
Bicarbonate is a form of carbon dioxide in a blood test. Bicarbonate in a blood test is a form of carbon dioxide, in your blood.