abdomen ~ The part of the body containing the internal organs. Lies between the pelvis and the chest cavity.

access ~ A means to get into the body. Accesses to the bloodstream for hemodialysis are fistulas, grafts, etc. Access to the peritoneal cavity for peritoneal dialysis is a catheter.

acute ~ Rapidly developing; severe; short duration.

acute renal failure ~ Sudden and severe decrease in kidney function that is short term.

ambulatory ~ Able to walk; movable.

anemia ~ A condition in which there is a reduction of red blood cells.

antibiotic ~ Medication used to kill bacteria and fight infection.

anticoagulant ~ Medication that delays or stops the clotting of blood such as heparin.

antihypertensive ~ Medication that lowers blood pressure.

antiseptic ~ Chemical that stops growth and reproduction of bacteria and viruses, but doesn’t necessarily destroy them as a disinfectant would.

arterial line ~ A tube that carries blood away from the body into the artificial kidney.

arteriosclerosis ~ hardening of the arteries.

artery ~ A blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

artificial kidney ~ A filtering device used with an artificial kidney machine to remove excess fluid and waste products from the body. Also known as “dialyzer” and “hemodialyzer”.

artificial kidney machine ~ A machine that supports and monitors the functioning of the artificial kidney (dialyzer). Also called “hemodialysis machine”.

bacteria ~ Single cell organisms, capable of rapid reproduction. They are present everywhere; some are harmless, others are known to produce infectious diseases.

blood chemistries ~ Measurement of certain chemicals in the blood.

blood flow rate ~ In dialysis, the rate at which the patient’s blood is pumped through the artificial kidney.

blood pressure ~ Pressure blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels. This is expressed in two numbers, such as 120/80. The systolic (top) number is the pressure when the heart is contracting and the diastolic (bottom) number is the pressure when the heart is at rest.

blood pump ~ A pump that moves blood from the patient’s access through the blood tubing and artificial kidney and back to the patient without damage to the blood cells.

bruit ~ Sound produced by the blood flowing through a graft, fistula or shunt.

BUN (blood urea nitrogen) ~ Combination of waste products (nitrogen and urea) in the blood normally excreted by the kidneys.

calcium ~ Element found in the body. Important to bone growth and formation, blood clotting, nerve and muscle functioning and the activation of certain enzymes.

carbohydrate ~ Category of food that is easily used by the body for energy.

cardiac ~ Anything to do with the heart.

catheter ~ A flexible, hollow tube through which fluids enter or leave the body. A catheter is implanted in the abdomen for peritoneal dialysis.

chronic ~ Of long duration or recurring often.

chronic renal (kidney) failure ~ Damage to the kidneys that cannot be reversed, usually progressive in nature.

clearance ~ Rate that waste products in the blood are removed through dialysis expressed in milliliters/minute.

coagulation ~ The process of forming a blood clot.

concentration ~ Strength of a solution.

Congestive heart failure ~ A condition in which the body is fluid overloaded, causing the heart to pump less effectively. Congestive heart failure may result in excess fluid in the lungs.

contaminate ~ Allowing microorganisms to contact a sterile area, making it unsterile and creating potential for infection.

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) ~ A form of dialysis in which dialysate drains into and out of the peritoneal cavity by gravity several times a day.

Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) ~ A form of dialysis that uses a cycling machine to infuse and drain dialysate from the peritoneal cavity several times during the night while the patient sleeps.

convulsion ~ Involuntary muscle contractions and relaxation.

Creatinine ~ One of the many waste products in the blood produced by normal tissue breakdown and removed by the kidneys, or by dialysis in patients with renal failure.

cross-matching ~ Testing of blood and tissues to check compatibility of donor kidney and patient for kidney transplantation.

culture ~ A sample of organisms taken from a site to identify the specific organism causing infection.

The above are intended to be general information and not intended to be treated as a diagnosis whatsoever. You are asked to seek professional medical advice relating to all questions on treatment, care, diagnosis and medication.