BMP
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Basic metabolic panel |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Technology & Computing |
BMP has three meanings. The most common are Basic metabolic panel (laboratory test) and Bone morphogenetic protein (surgical); it can also stand for Bitmap image file.
Meanings of BMP at a glance
| # | BMP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic metabolic panel | Medical › Laboratory Test |
| 2 | Bone morphogenetic protein | Medical › Surgical |
| 3 | Bitmap image file | Technology & Computing › File Format |
1. Basic metabolic panel
Medical · Laboratory Test Abbreviations
Group of eight blood chemistry tests: sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate (reported as CO2), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glucose and calcium. Together they check kidney function, fluid and electrolyte balance, acid-base status and blood sugar, which is why a BMP is routine at emergency visits, hospital admissions and when monitoring diuretics or ACE inhibitors.
Example: BMP back: K 5.9 and creatinine up to 2.3, so lisinopril is on hold.
Pronounced as letters and billed under CPT 80048. Blood goes into a serum or plasma tube (often a gold-top SST or green-top heparin tube), and fasting is requested only when the glucose value matters. Clinicians often jot results in a "fishbone" diagram with Na, Cl and BUN on top, K, HCO3 and creatinine below, and glucose at the tail. Adding liver enzymes, bilirubin and proteins turns a BMP into a CMP.
2. Bone morphogenetic protein
Medical · Surgical Abbreviations
Growth factor that stimulates bone formation, used in recombinant form (rhBMP-2) during spinal fusion and some fracture and dental procedures to promote bony healing. Orthopedic surgeon Marshall Urist described its bone-inducing activity in 1965.
Example: L4-L5 ALIF with interbody cage and BMP.
The FDA approved rhBMP-2 for anterior lumbar fusion with a specific cage in 2002, but off-label use in the anterior cervical spine led to a 2008 FDA notification about life-threatening neck swelling. Other concerns include unwanted bone growth and cost. In lab medicine BMP means basic metabolic panel.
3. Bitmap image file
Technology & Computing · File Format Abbreviations
Simple Windows image format that usually stores pixels uncompressed, making files large but easy to read and write. Also called a device-independent bitmap (DIB), it dates back to early Windows and OS/2.
Example: The old scanner software only saves BMP files, so convert them to PNG before emailing.
A 1920-by-1080 photo stored as a 24-bit BMP takes about 6 MB, several times its size as a PNG. Microsoft Paint saved BMP by default until Windows 7 switched it to PNG. Optional run-length encoding offers limited compression. BMP is still used in some embedded systems and Windows resources because of its simplicity.
Related abbreviations
More laboratory test abbreviations
- AST – Aspartate aminotransferase
- BCx – Blood cultures
- BE – Base excess
- BG – Blood glucose
- BUN – Blood urea nitrogen
- C&S – Culture and sensitivity
- Ca – Calcium
- CAP – College of American Pathologists
See all 135 laboratory test abbreviations →
More surgical abbreviations
- ALND – Axillary lymph node dissection
- Appy – Appendectomy
- APR – Abdominoperineal resection
- BMT – Bilateral myringotomy and tubes
- Circ – Circumcision
- CTR – Carpal tunnel release
- Cysto – Cystoscopy
- DIEP – Deep inferior epigastric perforator (flap)
See all 51 surgical abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.