Sweat chloride test
Explanation
A sweat chloride test measures chloride, a component of salt, in sweat. It helps investigate cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition that can affect the lungs and digestion. It is often used after an abnormal newborn screening result.
How is the sample collected?
A small area of skin is encouraged to sweat using a medicine and mild electrical stimulation. The sweat is collected for laboratory testing. No needle is needed.
What do the numbers mean?
A sweat chloride result below 30 mmol/L makes cystic fibrosis less likely. A result from 30 to 59 is an intermediate result: more testing is needed. A result of 60 or above makes cystic fibrosis likely and needs specialist interpretation and confirmation.
A low result does not exclude every case. Symptoms, newborn screening and genetic findings can affect what happens next.
What if there was not enough sweat?
An insufficient sample cannot give a reliable positive or negative result. This can happen in small babies, and the test is usually repeated. It does not by itself mean the baby has cystic fibrosis.
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