Glossary and Definitions
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN): When the cells of the kidney do not get enough blood, they begin to die. There is no treatment for ATN except time. The patient may be on dialysis while the old cells get better.
Anesthesia: The drug given by an anesthesiologist (specially trained doctor or nurse) which results in a sleep and relaxation state in order to do a painless operation. "Local" numbs an area; "General" puts the patient to sleep.
Antilymphocyte globulin (an'ti-lim'-fo-site glob'-yoo-lin): An immunosuppressive medicine that is sometimes given in cases of acute rejection.
Arteriosclerosis ( ar-teer'-ee-o-scler-oh'-siss): Hardening of the arteries. Fat deposits collect inside the arteries, blocking blood flow to the kidneys.
Azathioprine: An immunosuppressive drug that is sometimes used as maintenance immunosuppression. The brand name for azathioprine is Imuran®.
Blood Typing: A test between the person getting the kidney and the person giving the kidney to match for a compatible (one blood will not cause a reaction with the other) blood type.
Bone Survey: Tests that show whether the patient has any bone disease. Patients with ESRD may have lost bone because of loss of calcium. When the parathyroid gland works overtime to make up for failing kidneys, calcium levels may be lower than normal.
Cadaver: The body of a person who has died.
Contraindication: Any condition that would interfere with the success of a medical or surgical procedure. By means of tests and examinations on the patient, physicians and other members of the healthcare team are careful to identify any contraindications to kidney transplantation.
Cyclosporine: An immunosuppressive drug that allows the donated kidney to be accepted by the recipient's body. The brand name for cyclosporine is Sandimmune.®
Cyst: a sac-like structure filled with fluid and diseased matter.
Diabetes: A disease in which the body is not able to use sugar well because of a lack of insulin or because it cannot use the insulin properly.
Diabetic Nephropathy (nef-rah'-puh-thee): Kidney failure resulting from diabetes. Damaged blood vessels make the kidneys unable to filter toxins properly so that the nephrons of the kidney become diseased.
Diagnostic related group (DRG): A system of paying providers of health care, for example, hospitals. The treatment of each condition is given an established dollar figure. Only this amount is paid to the healthcare provider by the third party payor (an insurance company). Arrangements to pay the rest of the bill must be made by the patient.
Dialysis: The treatment for keeping the chemical and fluid balance of the blood when the kidneys have failed.
Donor: The person who gives the kidney to someone else.
Electrocardiogram (EKG): A tracing of the electrical rhythm of the heart, made with an instrument called an electrocardiograph. This tells the doctor how well the heart is beating.
End-stage renal disease (ESRD): When the kidneys are not working so treatment by dialysis or kidney transplantation is necessary. Another name for ESRD is chronic kidney failure.
Gastrointestinal (GI): Relates to the tract between the mouth and the rectum, involving the stomach and the intestines.
Graft: Another name for the "new kidney."
Hormones: Substances that are made by the glands but cause activity elsewhere in the body.
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) compatibility: A test done on the recipient and the donor to determine how actively the recipient's cells will attack the new kidney.
Hypertension: Another name for high blood pressure. Hypertension can damage the body by overworking the heart and the blood vessels.
Immunity: How well the body fights foreign substances and germs, such as those that cause infection.
Immunosuppressive: Affects the immune cells of the recipient (person who gets the new kidney) so they will not attack the new kidney.
Insulin: A hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin helps the body to use the sugar in the blood to give the body energy.
Kidney: One of two organs in the middle of the back, one on each side of the spine. They regulate the chemical and fluid balance of the body.
Kidney failure, acute: In this case, the kidneys stop working very quickly - within a few hours or days. However there is a good chance that the kidneys will start working again.
Kidney failure, chronic: In this case, the kidneys have been failing over a long period of time. They usually will not begin working well again and so the patient will need dialysis or transplantation. If the kidneys work a little, the patients may continue to make urine even after they begin dialysis.
Laparoscopic nephrectomy: Laparoscopic nephrectomy is a surgical innovation that uses minimally invasive technology and techniques to enhance the live-donor procedure. A laparoscopic nephrectomy results in a smaller incision, faster recovery and shorter hospital stays. California Pacific was the first transplant center in the San Francisco Bay Area to perform a laparoscopic nephrectomy in 1998.
Leukocyte: A white blood cell that helps fight infection.
Medicare: Government-provided medical insurance that was begun under the Social Security Act. It covers most patients with end-stage renal disease.
Nephrectomy: Surgical removal of the kidney(s) from the body.
Nephron: The working unit of the kidney.
Organism: Any living thing. When it refers to causing infection, an organism may be bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi.
Orthoclone OKT®3: An immunosuppressive drug which works by making the recipient's immune cells less sensitive to foreign substances, including the donated kidney. It was developed from mouse antibodies.
Parathyroid gland: One of four, small, oval glands, found on either side of the thyroid gland. Both of these glands are found in the neck. The parathyroid gland makes a chemical that stimulates calcium to be released into the blood.
Polycystic kidney disease: A hereditary disease (you can get it from your parents) that causes normal kidney tissue to be replaced by cysts.
Prednisone: A drug used as an immunosuppressive for transplantation.
Red blood cells: The part of the blood that carries oxygen to tissues.
Rejection: The body recognizes that the new kidney is a foreign tissue and attacks it.
Renal: Another name for kidney.
Retransplantation: A second or third attempt at transplantation if the first transplant does not work.
Saline: A salt solution containing salt and chloride.
Tissue typing: A test done on the recipient and the potential donor to check compatibility.
Toxins: Waste products in the blood or any substance that is poisonous to the body.
Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) X-ray: This is part of the evaluation process. This helps to see whether the stomach and esophagus show any signs of ulcers.
Ulcers: Open sores on the lining of the stomach or other mucus membranes. Transplant surgery may not be done if the patient has ulcers because a large number of ulcers bleed and this could be dangerous. Sometimes ulcers can be treated well enough so that the patient can still go through with transplant surgery.
X-ray, chest: This is another part of the evaluation process. Pictures of the lungs can show whether they are healthy enough to go through the stress of surgery. X-rays also show any other problems that need further workup, for example, lung cancer. After surgery, chest X-rays are done to rule out infections, or they may be done every year as part of a follow-up routine.
Adapted from the American Nephrology Nurses Association.