Treating Kidney Failure With Kidney Transplantation
APPENDIX C. Words You Need to Know
To learn more about chronic kidney disease and its treatments, you'll need to learn the special words associated with these subjects. Here are some definitions of words used in this book that may be new to you.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
ABDOMEN: The area of the body that contains the digestive organs. It is also called the abdominal cavity or the peritoneal cavity.
ACCESS: In hemodialysis, an entrance that is made surgically, usually in an arm or leg, to allow a connection to the bloodstream. In peritoneal dialysis, the access is a soft plastic tube that is surgically placed in the peritoneal cavity.
ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS): A virus infection that causes progressive damage to the body's immune system. AIDS makes people more susceptible to serious infections and tumors.
ACUTE REJECTION: A type of rejection that usually occurs during the first year after transplantation and can usually be treated successfully by increasing anti-rejection medications or by using different anti-rejection medications. (See rejection.)
ANEMIA: A condition caused by a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body. Symptoms include paleness, weakness, fatigue and shortness of breath.
ANTIBODY: A type of protein made in the body to attack foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses or even a transplanted kidney. In the case of transplants, anti-rejection medications are given to prevent antibodies from attacking the transplanted kidneys. Rejection episodes occur when antibodies attack a transplant.
ANTIGEN: A substance in the blood that is recognized as "foreign," and causes your body to gear up its defenses to attack the substance. An antigen may be associated with germs or a transplanted organ.
ANTI-REJECTION MEDICATIONS: Medications that lower the activity of your body's immune system to prevent the body from rejecting a transplant. They are also called immunosuppressive medications.
ARTERIES: Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart.
B
BACTERIA: A type of germ that can enter the body and cause infections. Transplant recipients have an increased susceptibility to infections because the anti-rejection medications lower the body's defenses.
BLADDER: The sac in which urine produced by the kidneys is collected and stored until released from the body. It may shrink in size with kidney failure.
BLOOD TYPE: A classification of blood based on the presence of specific proteins called antigens. In a transplant, the blood types of donor and recipient must be compatible for the transplant to be successful.
BLOOD TYPING: The system used to determine whether certain antigens (A, B and O) are present on the surfaces of red blood cells; blood groups are inherited and are an important factor in determining whether blood or transplant donors are compatible with recipients.
BRAIN DEATH: When an individual's brain stops functioning due to some injury. Brain death is a legal definition of death.
C
CHROMOSOMES: The structures within your cells that contain the genetic material, which carries inherited traits from parents to children. Humans have a set of 42 chromosomes; 21 are inherited from each parent.
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: Progressive loss of kidney function caused by diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, etc. It may lead to complete kidney failure, which requires treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life. (See also kidney failure.)
CHRONIC REJECTION: A type of rejection of a transplanted kidney that occurs slowly over a period of time. The causes are not known and no successful treatment has been developed yet. (See also rejection.)
COMPATIBLE: When a donor kidney is suitably matched to a potential recipient in terms of blood type and tissue type.
CORONARY ANGIOGRAM: An x-ray examination of the blood vessels that supply the heart.
CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY: A technique used to treat narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels that supply the heart. In the procedure, a catheter is inserted into an artery in the leg and threaded to the narrow or blocked coronary artery. A balloon at the tip of the catheter is then inflated to widen the narrow or blocked area.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: A narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart. It may increase the risk of a heart attack.
CROSSMATCH: A lab test that mixes the blood cells of a potential recipient with those of a potential donor to determine whether they are compatible. If they are not compatible, the transplant cannot be done because rejection would occur.
CYTOMEGALOVIRUS: A type of infection that tends to be more serious in post-transplant patients because the anti-rejection medications lower their body's defenses.
D
DIABETES: A disease that occurs when the amount of sugar in your blood becomes too high. This can happen when the body no longer makes enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and is also associated with heart disease, eye problems and nerve damage.
DIALYSIS: The process of removing wastes and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys have failed
DONOR: An individual who donates organs and/or tissues to someone who needs a transplant. The donor may be someone who died (non-living donor), or in some cases, donations such as a kidney, partial liver or bone marrow may come from a living donor.
E
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (EKG): A machine that records electrical changes in the heart. It is used to help detect heart disease.
F
FUNGUS INFECTION: An infection caused by a simple plant cell such as a yeast. This can be a problem in transplant recipients because anti-rejection medications lower the activity of their immune system.
H
HEMODIALYSIS: A type of dialysis that involves the use of an artificial kidney, or dialyzer, to filter waste products and excess fluid from the blood. Treatments typically last for four hours, three times a week, and take place at home or in a dialysis center.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: A leading cause of chronic kidney disease, heart attacks and strokes. It occurs when the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries becomes too high. High blood pressure may also be a complication of chronic kidney disease. It is also called hypertension.
HUMAN IMMUNODIFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV): The virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
HLA (HUMAN LEUKOCYTE ANTIGENS): Special proteins located on the sixth chromosome. They are used to identify the best potential kidney transplant donor for a specific patient. This process is known as tissue typing.
I
IMMUNE SYSTEM: The body's system of defense against foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. It may recognize a transplanted organ as foreign and attack the transplant, causing rejection. Anti-rejection medications make the immune system less active.
INFECTION: Invasion of the body by harmful germs such as bacteria, viruses or fungus.
K
KIDNEY FAILURE: The stage of chronic kidney disease where only 15 percent or less of kidney function remains (Stage 5 of chronic kidney disease), and treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant is required to maintain life. It is also called end stage renal disease, or ESRD.
KIDNEYS: The two vital organs, located behind the abdominal cavity, which maintain the balance of fluids and chemicals in the blood, remove waste products from the blood, release important hormones and help to regulate blood pressure.
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION: The surgical transfer of a healthy kidney from one individual to another whose own kidneys have failed.
L
LAPAROSCOPIC KIDNEY REMOVAL: A newer surgical technique for removing a kidney from a living donor. The procedure is done with several small incisions, and recovery time may be shorter.
LIVING DONOR: A living person who donates an organ to someone in need of a transplant. A living donor is usually a family member or friend of the recipient but may also be a stranger who wished to donate to anyone in need of a transplant. Living donation is most common in the case of a kidney, but is also possible for a partial liver, pancreas or lung.
LYMPHOCYTE: The cell in the body's immune system that is primarily responsible for recognizing foreign substances in the body; such as germs or a transplanted organ.
M
MEDICARE: A type of federal medical insurance provided by the Social Security Administration, which pays for many of the medical costs associated with dialysis and transplantation as well as other medical expenses.
N
NEPHROLOGIST: A medical doctor with advanced training in kidney disease and internal medicine.
NON-LIVING DONOR: An individual who indicated his or her wish to become an organ and/or tissue donor at the time of death. Sometimes referred to as a cadaver donor.
NON-LIVING KIDNEY: A kidney that is donated by someone at the time of death to help someone in need of a kidney transplant.
P
PERITONEAL DIALYSIS: A type of dialysis that uses the membrane surrounding the abdominal organs, the peritoneum, as a natural filter to remove wastes and excess fluid from the blood.
PNEUMOCYSTIS: A type of parasite that causes a rare pneumonia found more often in people whose defenses have been lowered, such as transplant recipients taking anti-rejection medications and people with AIDS.
POTASSIUM: A mineral needed for normal heart and muscle function. Too high or too low levels can be harmful. Potassium needs to be controlled in the diets of people with kidney failure.
PROSTATE GLAND: A small gland in men that surrounds the urethra, or tube that carries urine out of the body. This gland tends to enlarge with age, and this may cause problems with urination, requiring treatment with medicine or surgery.
R
RECIPIENT: An individual who receives an organ or tissue transplant becauss disease or injury has caused serious damage to a vital organ such as the heart, kidney or liver or to tissue such as the cornea or skin.
REJECTION: Loss of a transplanted organ or tissue may occur if your immune system recognizes your transplant as "foreign" and attacks it. Transplant recipients must take anti-rejection drugs to keep this from happening.
RENAL ARTERY: A special artery that links your kidney to the aorta — the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the organs of the body.
RENAL DIETITIAN: A nutritionist who has special training in working with diets for kidney patients.
RENAL VEIN: A vein that links your kidneys to the major vein of the heart, called the vena cava.
S
SERUM CREATININE: A by-product of muscle metabolism, which is normally removed from the blood by the kidneys. It is used to measure kidney function.
SOCIAL WORKER: The health professional who helps people adjust to treatment for kidney failure by providing information about community resources and counseling services.
SODIUM: A mineral found in table salt and many foods, especially packaged and processed foods. It causes the body to keep extra fluid , which may lead to swelling and increased blood pressure.
T
TISSUE TYPING: A procedure performed in a laboratory before a kidney transplant to see if the tissues of the donor's kidneys are compatible with those of the recipient's kidneys. Except for identical twins, everyone's tissues have certain differences from those of other individuals. Studies have shown that the better the tissue match, the more successful a kidney transplant will be over a longer period of time.
TRANSPLANT CENTER: A hospital where transplant operations are performed.
TRANSPLANT SURGEON: A doctor who specializes in performing transplant operations. If you are interested in being evaluated for a transplant, your doctor may refer you to a transplant surgeon.
U
URETER: The tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.
V
VIRUS: A type of germ that can enter the body and cause infections. Viruses are responsible for a wide variety of infectious diseases, ranging from the common cold to AIDS.
