BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuBUN - blood testBlood urea nitrogen; Renal insufficiency - BUN; Renal failure - BUN; Renal disease - BUNBUN stands for blood urea nitrogen. Urea nitrogen is what forms when protein breaks down.A test can be done to measure the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. How the Test is Performed A blood sample is needed. Most of the time blood is drawn from a vein located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.Drawn from a veinVenipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein. It is most often done for laboratory testing.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article How to Prepare for the Test Many medicines can interfere with blood test results.Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test. DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first. How the Test will Feel You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. You may also feel some throbbing at the site after the blood is drawn. Why the Test is Performed The BUN test is often done to check kidney function. Normal Results The normal result is generally 6 to 20 mg/dL.Note: Normal values may vary among different labs. Talk to your provider about your specific test results.The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens. What Abnormal Results Mean Higher-than-normal level may be due to:Congestive heart failure Congestive heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Excessive amount of dietary protein in the gastrointestinal tract Gastrointestinal bleeding Gastrointestinal bleedingGastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refers to any bleeding that starts in the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding may come from any site along the GI tract, ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Hypovolemia (dehydration) HypovolemiaHypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attack Kidney disease, including glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, and acute tubular necrosis GlomerulonephritisGlomerulonephritis is a type of kidney disease in which the part of your kidneys that helps filter waste and fluids from the blood is damaged....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Acute tubular necrosisAcute tubular necrosis (ATN) is a kidney disorder involving damage to the tubule cells of the kidneys, which can lead to acute kidney failure. The t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney failure Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Shock ShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Urinary tract obstructionUrinary tract obstructionObstructive uropathy is a condition in which the flow of urine is blocked. This causes the urine to back up and injure one or both kidneys.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Lower-than-normal level may be due to:Liver failure Low protein diet Malnutrition Over-hydration Considerations For people with liver disease, the BUN level may be low even if the kidneys are normal.Liver diseaseThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesLandry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 106.Oh MS, Breifel G, Pincus MR. Evaluation of renal function, water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 15.Weisbord SD, Palevsky PM. Prevention and management of acute kidney injury. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 29.AllVideoImagesTogBlood test - illustration Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.Blood testillustrationBlood test - illustration Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.Blood testillustration Tests for BUN - blood test BUN - blood testComprehensive metabolic panelBasic metabolic panelRelated Information Metabolism(Special Topic)Renal(Special Topic)Amino acids(Special Topic)Ammonia blood test(Medical Test)Heart failure(Condition)Gastrointestinal bleeding(Symptoms)Hypovolemic shock(Condition)Heart attack(Condition)Glomerulonephritis(Condition)Acute tubular necrosis(Condition)Heart failure - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart attack and acute coronary syndrome - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 6/20/2023 Reviewed By: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. 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BUN - blood testBlood urea nitrogen; Renal insufficiency - BUN; Renal failure - BUN; Renal disease - BUNBUN stands for blood urea nitrogen. Urea nitrogen is what forms when protein breaks down.A test can be done to measure the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. How the Test is Performed A blood sample is needed. Most of the time blood is drawn from a vein located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.Drawn from a veinVenipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein. It is most often done for laboratory testing.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article How to Prepare for the Test Many medicines can interfere with blood test results.Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test. DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first. How the Test will Feel You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. You may also feel some throbbing at the site after the blood is drawn. Why the Test is Performed The BUN test is often done to check kidney function. Normal Results The normal result is generally 6 to 20 mg/dL.Note: Normal values may vary among different labs. Talk to your provider about your specific test results.The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens. What Abnormal Results Mean Higher-than-normal level may be due to:Congestive heart failure Congestive heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Excessive amount of dietary protein in the gastrointestinal tract Gastrointestinal bleeding Gastrointestinal bleedingGastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refers to any bleeding that starts in the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding may come from any site along the GI tract, ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Hypovolemia (dehydration) HypovolemiaHypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attack Kidney disease, including glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, and acute tubular necrosis GlomerulonephritisGlomerulonephritis is a type of kidney disease in which the part of your kidneys that helps filter waste and fluids from the blood is damaged....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Acute tubular necrosisAcute tubular necrosis (ATN) is a kidney disorder involving damage to the tubule cells of the kidneys, which can lead to acute kidney failure. The t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney failure Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Shock ShockShock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Urinary tract obstructionUrinary tract obstructionObstructive uropathy is a condition in which the flow of urine is blocked. This causes the urine to back up and injure one or both kidneys.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Lower-than-normal level may be due to:Liver failure Low protein diet Malnutrition Over-hydration Considerations For people with liver disease, the BUN level may be low even if the kidneys are normal.Liver diseaseThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesLandry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 106.Oh MS, Breifel G, Pincus MR. Evaluation of renal function, water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 15.Weisbord SD, Palevsky PM. Prevention and management of acute kidney injury. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 29.