Glossary

A type of drug that can be used to treat high blood pressure but also used to reduce the protein that kidneys leak with certain kidney diseases.  This type of drug includes enalapril, lisinopril and ramipril.

Also called acute renal failure.  Sudden and temporary loss of kidney function.

A term that refers to how well your dialysis is working. To measure adequacy, tests are carried out to see if enough fluid and waste products are being removed from your blood.

A type of protein that occurs in the blood.

A hormone that affects how much salt and water the kidney tubules excrete.

An artificial type of vitamin D which is suitable for people with chronic kidney disease because it does not need the kidney to be able to make it work.

A kidney donor who gives a kidney to someone they have never met or even heard of.

Substances from which proteins are built up.

A reduction in the quantity of the oxygen carrying pigment haemoglobin in the blood

An abbreviation for Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody. This is a type of antibody that is associated with some types of vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of kidneys).

A type of X-ray that uses a special dye to show the blood vessels. For a renal angiogram, the dye is put into the blood vessels via a tube that is inserted into the groin and passed up to the kidneys.

The use of a balloon to stretch up the narrowing in a blood vessel during an angiogram.

A hormone produced by the kidney that helps to regulate blood pressure.

A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria.

A protein that is recognised by the immune system (the body's natural defence system). The body does not usually react to antigens from its own cells, but should react vigorously to antigens from bacteria and other invaders. Sometimes the body will react to  its own antigens.  This is called auto-immune disease and can cause some types of kidney disease. The immune system reacts to antigens on a transplant and can lead to transplant rejection.

Abbreviation for Automated Peritoneal Dialysis. A form of peritoneal dialysis that uses a machine to drain the dialysis fluid out of the patient and replace it with fresh solution.  It usually takes places with several cycles overnight.

A vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the body.

A disease that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the body itself.

The way in which some genetic diseases are passed on to children.  An autosomal recessive disease is caused when someone has two copies of a faulty gene, one from each parent.  Parents will have one healthy and one faulty gene and are known as carriers.

Surgical connection of an artery directly to a vein, usually in the forearm, created in patients who will need hemodialysis.

A drug that slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Examples are atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol.

A substance that is normally present in the blood which prevents the body becoming too acid.  In some kidney diseases, kidneys leak bicarbonate.

A treatment for dysfunctional voiding in which children learn to recognise how to relax their pelvic floor through computer game simulations.

A test involving the removal of a small piece of an organ or other body tissue and its examination under a microscope.

Not an abbreviation, just the name of a virus that can cause problems after transplantation.

An organ that holds the urine excreted by the kidneys

A transplant kidney removed from someone who has died. Now, usually called deceased donor transplant.

A type of drug which is recognised by the body as if it is calcium (i.e. 'mimics' the effect of calcium). May be used to help lower the blood level of calcium in people with kidney failure and problems with calcium levels in the blood. The main example used in children is cinnacalcet.

A mineral that strengthens the bones. It is contained in some foods, including dairy products. It is stored in the bones and is present in the blood. The kidneys normally help to keep calcium in the bones. In kidney failure, calcium drains out of the bones, and the level of calcium in the blood also falls.

The medical word for kidney stones - small pieces of mineral which can form in kidneys. The plural is calculi.

A tube inserted through the skin into a blood vessel or cavity to draw out body fluid or infuse fluid. Examples include a urinary catheter inserted into the bladder, a peritoneal dialysis catheter used to infuse dialysis solution into the abdominal cavity or a haemodialysis catheter inserted into a large blood vessel and used for haemodialysis.

Abbreviation for chronic kidney disease. This is when kidneys don't work properly for more than 3 months.  It is divided into stages 1 to 5 depending on the percentage of kidney function. 

Abbreviation for cytomegalovirus. A virus that normally causes only a mild ‘flu-like’ illness. In people with a kidney transplant (and in other people whose immune system is suppressed), CMV can cause a more serious illness, affecting the lungs, liver and blood.

Means "existing at birth".

A waste product from protein in the diet and from the muscles of the body. Creatinine is removed from blood by the kidneys; as kidney disease progresses, the level of creatinine in the blood increases.  The level of creatinine in the blood can be used to estimate the level of kidney function (eGFR).

Before a transplant, the donor's blood is tested with the recipient's blood to see whether there will be any reaction.  A negative cross-match means no reaction is seen and the transplant can go ahead.

A small sac that forms in an organ such as the kidney.  A kidney cyst usually contains fluid. Cysts are not normal but are not always harmful.

A type of infection that causes inflammation of the bladder.

An x-ray in which a catheter is inserted into the bladder, which is then filled with a special dye that shows up on x-ray.  It is used to look for vesico-ureteric reflux to look for abnormalities of the bladder.

A condition in which the body does not contain enough water to function properly.

The filtering unit of a dialysis machine. It removes body wastes and excess water from the blood in a similar way to a kidney.

An artificial process by which the toxic waste products of food and excess water are removed from the body. Dialysis therefore takes over some of the work normally performed by healthy kidneys. The name dialysis comes from a Greek word meaning ‘to separate’ – i.e., to separate out the ‘bad things’ in the blood from the ‘good things’. The two major forms of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

The fluid that provides the ‘container’ into which toxic waste products and excess water pass during peritoneal dialysis for removal from the body.

The medical name for water tablets. These drugs increase the amount of urine that is passed.  Examples include furosemide and spironolactone.

Daytime wetting.

A type of nuclear medicine scan used to assess or renal scarring or to compare the function of one kidney to the other.  A dye with a radio-active label is injected into a vein.  After 4-6 hours, the scanning takes place.

Emtpy the bladder a second time a few minutes after emptying for a first time. 

In peritoneal dialysis the amount of time a bag of dialysis solution remains in the patient's abdominal cavity during an exchange.

A type of bladder emptying problem in which the bladder muscle contracting and sphincter relaxing are not co-ordinated.

Means abnormal tissue development.  Dysplastic kidneys are kidneys which have not formed properly.

Abbreviation for Epstein Barr virus, which can cause glandular fever in healthy people, and more serious problems in those who have received kidney transplants

Abbreviation for electrocardiogram. A test that shows the electrical activity within the heart.

Abbreviation for echocardiogram. A type of ultrasound scan (sound-wave picture) that shows how well the heart is working.

Abbreviation of estimated glomerular filtration rate. Measurement of how much blood is filtered by the kidneys, estimated from the blood level of creatinine and the height of the child. This is what doctors use to describe the percentage kidney function.

A hormone made by the kidneys that stimulates cells in the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells. Synthetic versions are available (epoetin alpha, epoietin beta) and can be given by injections to people with severe CKD to treat anaemia.

Abbreviation for erythropoeitin stimulating agent, a group of drugs which act in exactly the same way as EPO but differ chemically so are given a slightly different name.  Examples include darbopoietin (Aranesp).  These drugs can be given less frequently than EPO.

Abbreviation for end-stage renal disease, also known as established renal failure (ERF).  This means kidney failure that will not recover and is severe enough to need dialysis or a transplant.

The point where a catheter comes out through the skin. Exit site infections can be a problem for both haemodialysis and PD patients.

Another name for tacrolimus.

Abbreviation for focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis.  A type of kidney disease which causes scarring of the individual filtering units in the kidney.  It can causes a type of nephrotic syndrome that is difficult to treat.  Many forms are caused by faulty genes.

Inflammation of the glomeruli (filtering units of the kidney). Most often it is caused by an autoimmune disease but it can also result from infection.

A tiny set of looping blood vessels that filter blood in the kidney. Plural: glomeruli.

In hemodialysis, it is a word for vascular access surgically created using a synthetic tube to connect an artery to a vein.

In transplantation, it is another word used for a transplanted organ.

Growth hormone is made in the body and helps children grow. In CKD, it doesn't work well and can be given as a daily injection.

Blood in the urine.  Can be macroscopic (visible to the naked eye) or microscopic (only detectable with a dipstick test).

A substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. A low haemoglobin level indicates anaemia. Haemoglobin is often abbreviated to Hb.

An infection of the liver, usually caused by a virus.

A substance produced in one part of the body that acts as chemical messengers in another part of the body. For example, parathyroid hormone from the parathyroid glands affects functions of the kidney.

High blood levels of the hormone PTH.  In children with CKD, secondary hyperparathyroidism is caused because of some of the kidneys' functions reducing.

High blood pressure.

The body's system for protecting itself from viruses and bacteria or any "foreign" substances.

A drug given to suppress the natural responses of the body's immune system. Immunosuppressant are given to transplant patients to prevent organ rejection and to patients with autoimmune diseases like nephrotic syndrome.

A special x-ray of the kidneys. A dye that shows up on x-rays is used to show the drainage system of the kidneys. The dye is injected into the patient’s arm, travels in the blood to the kidneys, and is passed from the body in the urine.

Short for sytemic lupus erythematosus, it is a chronic disease of unknown cause. It can affect skin, blood vessels, and other organs, and may also damage the kidneys.

A type of nuclear medicine scan used to assess the drainage of the kidneys.  A special dye containing a radio-active marker is injected into a vein and the patient's kidneys are then scanned over the next 30-60 minutes.

A medical term for weeing.

An abbreviation for magnetic resonace arteriogram.  Type of MRI scan which takes pictures of arteries.

Abbreviation for Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan. A scanning technique that uses magnetism, radiowaves and a computer to produce high-quality pictures of the body’s interior.

Abbreviation for magnetic resonance venogram.  Type of MRI scan which takes pictures of veins.

An operation to remove a kidney. A bilateral nephrectomy is an operation to remove both kidneys.

A general term for inflammation of the kidneys. Also used as an abbreviation for glomerulonephritis (GN). A kidney biopsy is often needed to diagnose the underlying cause.

Small individual unit in the kidney, made up of a glomerulus (filtering unit), blood vessels and tubule (specialist part that reabsorbs water and salts).

An operation to put an artificial tube directly through the skin into the drainage part of a kidney.  It is usually used as a temporary way to relieve an obstruction.

Nephrotic syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms including protein in the urine, low blood protein (albumin), and swelling (oedema). Nephrotic syndrome is caused by disorders that affecting the filtering properties of the kidney glomerulus.

Passing urine during the night (in the toilet)

Bedwetting

A type of x-ray which takes pictures after a dye containing radioactivity is injected, usually into a vein.  Examples in children's kidney medicine include MAG3 and DMSA.

A blockage, which affects urine flow out of the kidney or the bladder. The blockage makes it difficult for the kidney to remove waste and extra fluids.

Swelling caused by fluid leaking out of blood vessels.

A term used to describe children with daytime wetting and symptoms of urinary urgency due to bladder muscle being tense and unrelaxed.

Four pea-sized glands near the thyroid gland at the front of the neck. They produce parathyroid hormone.

Abbreviation for peritoneal dialysis. A form of dialysis that takes place inside the patient’s peritoneal cavity - a special sac within the abdomen. Bags of dialysis fluid, containing sugar and salts, are drained into the peritoneal cavity.  As the fluid drains out, it also removes excess water and waste products.

With regard to kidneys, this means the drainage part of the kidney that joins the ureter.

Lining of the abdominal cavity.

Inflammation of the peritoneum, usually caused by infection.

A mineral that helps calcium to strengthen the bones. Phosphate is found in foods such as dairy products, nuts and meat. In kidney failure, phosphate tends to build up in the blood and can cause harm to bones and blood vessels in the long-term.

Tablets or medicine that help prevent a build-up of phosphate in the body. Phosphate binders combine with phosphate in the gut so that it passes it out of the body in poo.

A type of blood cell that helps the blood to clot.

A type of disease where blood vessels in the kidneys and other parts of the body are inflamed.

Drinking fluids excessively

Passing excessive amounts of urine

A mineral that is normally present in the blood. Too high or too low blood potassium levels can be dangerous, causing the heart to stop beating. People with CKD or AKI are not able to get rid of potassium so well and may need to restrict the amount of potassium in their diet.

Protein in the urine.

A hormone produced by the parathyroid glands, which helps control blood levels of calcium. When the level of calcium in the blood is low, PTH boosts it by causing calcium to drain from the bones into the blood.

Abbreviation for pelvi-ureteric junction - the point at which the pelvis of the kidney joins the ureter. It is a common site for a narrowing to cause hold-up.

Kidney infection.

The movement of a liquid, such as urine, in the opposite direction to normal. Vesico-ureteric reflux is back-flow of urine from the bladder towards the kidneys.

Kidney scarring caused by a combination of reflux and infections.

What happens when a kidney transplant is rejected by the body. If left untreated, it would eventually cause the kidney to stop working.

A complication of kidney failure, in which bone health is affected by abnormally low blood levels of calcium and vitamin D and high levels of phosphate. Without treatment, renal bone disease can result in bone pain and fractures.

A restriction in certain foods for patients with kidney disease.  This might include restriction in foods containing high salt, potassium and phosphate and/or a restriction of fluids.

A hormone made by the kidneys that helps regulate blood pressure.

Narrowing of the kidney arteries, usually causing high blood pressure.

The kidney function left after starting dialysis.

A set proteins on the surface of cells that makes everyone unique.  These need to be well-matched for a successful kidney transplant.

The specialist part of each nephron that fine tunes what goes into urine and what is reabsorbed back into the bloodstream.

A possible problem for patients on PD or haemodialysis with a catheter. It occurs when an infection spreads from the exit site into where the catheter tunnels through the skin.

The condition where a person gets sick from urea and other waste products building up in the blood. Symptoms may include nausea, weight loss and trouble sleeping.

A waste product from protein which is excreted by the kidneys.  In kidney failure, it builds up and can cause symptoms (uraemia).

The tube that drains urine from the kidney into the bladder.

The tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Testing urine by dipstick, which can be done in the clinic or at home.  Common things tested for include blood, protein, leucocytes (white blood cells) and nitrites.  The presence of nitrites or leucocytes may mean infection.

Drugs that lower the blood pressure by making the arteries dilate. Examples include nifedipine, amlodipine and minoxidil.

To empty the bladder.

Abbreviation for the vesico-ureteric junction, the point at which the ureter enters the bladder.  It can occasionally be narrowed causing some hold-up.