Kidney & Electrolytes
Serum Chloride
Kidney & Electrolytes
Essential electrolyte. Helps regulate fluid balance, blood pressure and acid-base status.
VAT-exempt medical service
Chloride is one of the most abundant electrolytes in the blood and works closely with sodium and bicarbonate. It plays a vital role in maintaining osmotic pressure, fluid balance, and the pH of blood. Chloride shifts between compartments in response to other electrolyte changes, making it a sensitive marker of metabolic status.
Chloride is usually tested as part of a broader electrolyte or metabolic panel. It can help identify acid-base disturbances, dehydration, or conditions that cause abnormal fluid retention. If you have symptoms like persistent fatigue, muscle weakness, or breathing difficulties, a chloride test can contribute to the diagnostic picture.
What a high value can mean
High chloride (hyperchloraemia) can result from excess dietary salt, dehydration, kidney inflammation, stress, or metabolic acidosis. Certain medications and medical therapies can also elevate chloride. Symptoms may include thirst, high blood pressure, weakness, and in severe cases confusion or irregular heartbeat.
What a low value can mean
Low chloride (hypochloraemia) may be caused by insufficient salt intake, excessive loss through the digestive system or urine, overhydration, or conditions such as congestive heart failure and metabolic alkalosis. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness, and breathing difficulties.
No preparation is needed. Bring valid ID to your appointment.
Order your test
Choose your test and pay online. Your lab referral is created straight away.
Give your sample
Visit any of our partner sampling locations. No appointment needed at most of them.
The lab analyses it
Your sample is analysed at an accredited Swedish laboratory.
Get your results
Your values appear in your account with reference ranges and an explanation of each marker.
No. Chloride is an essential ion in the body, while chlorine is a reactive gas used for water treatment. They share a chemical origin but function very differently.
Sodium and chloride are closely linked in the body. They move together across cell membranes, so changes in one often reflect changes in the other. Testing both provides a more accurate picture of electrolyte status.
Yes. Very high salt intake can raise chloride, while very low salt intake or excessive water consumption can lower it. However, most abnormalities involve an underlying medical cause.