KIDNEY
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Kidney Failure Glossary | Frequently Asked Questions | Helpful Links
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Kidney Failure Glossary (Printable PDF)
Absorption -the degree and pace at which a drug enters the bloodstream from the small intestine
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) - reversible kidney damage resulting in delayed kidney function
Allocation - The process of determining how organs are distributed. Allocation includes the system of policies and guidelines, which ensure that organs are distributed in an equitable, ethical and medically sound manner.
Allograft - a graft between two individuals who are of the same species (i.e. human) but have genetic differences
Anemic - low red blood cell count
Antacid - a drug that aids in protecting the digestive system and relieves heartburn and digestive discomfort
Antibody - a protein produced by the body to eliminate foreign substances, such as bacteria
Anti-rejection Drugs - see immunosuppressants
Antigen - a substance that triggers an immune response. This response may be the production of antibodies which try to inactivate or destroy the antigen of a transplanted organ
Arteriogram (angiogram) - an x-ray of the arteries taken with the aid of a dye
Atherosclerosis - a build up of fats in the lining of the arteries that may interfere with the flow of blood
Bacteria - small germs that can cause disease
Biopsy - the removal and examination of tissue sampling for diagnosis
Bladder - the part of the urinary tract that receives urine from the kidneys and stores it until urination
BUN (blood urea nitrogen) - a waste product normally excreted by the kidney. BUN values represent how well the kidneys function
Cadaveric Donor - an individual who has recently died of causes that do not affect the function of an organ to be transplanted
Cardiac Catheterization - a procedure in which a small tube is guided through a vein or an artery into the right or left side of the heart to check the function of the heart and the coronary arteries
Cardiologist - doctor who studies and treats diseases of the heart
Catheter – a tube, generally small and flexible, inserted into the body, to infuse medications, monitor organ function and drain fluid
Cellcept®- an immunosuppressive drug used to prevent the rejection of the transplanted organ. Also known by its chemical name myophenolate mofetil
Cholesterol - fat substance found in animal meats, dairy products and produced by the liver. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a risk factor for developing heart disease.
Coagulation - blood clotting
Corticosteroids - a category of immunosuppressive medications that includes prednisone and prednisolone
Creatinine - a substance found in blood and urine; it results from normal body chemical reactions; high blood creatinine levels are a sign of depressed kidney function
Crossmatch - a test in which donor and recipient blood samples are mixed together. A "positive" crossmatch shows the donor and recipient are incompatible. A "negative" crossmatch shows there is no reaction between the donor and the recipient which means that the donor and recipient are compatible and the transplant may proceed.
Cyclosporine - drug that helps keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ. Brand names include Neoral® and Gengraf®
Detoxify - to change a harmful substance into a safer form
Diabetes - a disease in which patients have high levels of sugar in their blood
Dialysis - the process of cleansing and achieving chemical balance in the blood of patients whose kidneys have failed.
Diastolic - the bottom of two blood pressure numbers which measures blood pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest
Donor - person who gives an organ to be transplanted in another person
Echocardiogram - a diagnostic test that uses reflected sound wave (ultrasound) to see images of the heart, and provides information regarding the heart’s structure and function
Edema - excess fluid in body tissues caused by fluid leaking from blood vessels
Electrocardiogram - a recording of the electrical activity of the heart
Electrolyte - refers to the dissolved form of a mineral such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine, etc.
Enzyme - a protein made in the body and capable of changing a substance from one form to another
Fluid Retention - condition in which the body stores excess fluid
Gastroenterologist - a physician who specializes in the care of the digestive tract
Glucose - a type of sugar found in the blood
Graft – a transplanted organ or tissue
Hemodialysis - a method of dialysis in which blood is purified by circulating through an machine outside the body
Histocompatibility - the examination of antigens in a patient often referred to as "tissue typing" or "genetic matching". Tissue typing is routinely performed for all donors and recipients in kidney and pancreas transplantation to help match the donor with the most suitable recipients in an effort to decrease rejection of the transplanted organ.
High Blood Pressure or Hypertension - Occurs when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the blood vessels is higher than normal because the blood vessels have either become less elastic or have gotten smaller. Hypertension causes the heart to pump harder to move blood through the body. It can cause kidney failure and heart disease if not treated.
Immune Response - any defensive reaction to foreign material by the immune system
Immune System – the body’s natural defense system against foreign substances such as viruses, bacteria, some types of cancers, and transplanted organs or tissue
Immunosuppressive agents - drugs that help treat or prevent the immune system from rejecting an organ or tissue transplant
Imuran®- an immunosuppressive drug used to help prevent the rejection of a transplanted organ. Also known by its chemical name, azathioprine
Incompatible - no match or similarity between donor or recipient blood type or organs
Insulin - substance produced by the pancreas that helps the body absorb blood sugar from the blood into cells to produce energy
IV (Intravenous) - refers to giving medicines or fluids directly through a vein
IV Catheter - a small needle with a hollow tube inserted into a vein and used to give medicines or fluids
Kidney - one of the two kidney-bean-shaped organs located on both sides of the spine, just above the waist. Their function is to remove the body’s waste materials and maintain fluid balance through the production of urine
Lab Draw - process of taking blood or urine for laboratory analysis
Living Related Donor (LRD) - a blood relative who donates an organ
Match - the compatibility between recipient and donor; the closer the match between the donor and recipient, the greater potential for a successful transplant
Nephrologist - a physician who studies the kidney and treats kidney disease
Non-compliance - failure of patients to follow the instructions and recommendations of their medical team, such as not taking medicine as prescribed or not showing up for clinic visits
Organ Preservation - methods used to preserve organs while they are out of a donor’s body and to be transplanted to a recipient.
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) - The purpose of the OPTN is to improve the effectiveness of the nation's organ procurement, donation and transplantation system by increasing the availability of and access to donor organs for patients with end-stage organ failure. Administered by UNOS (United Network Organ Sharing), it provides a unique public-private partnership that links all of the professionals involved in the donation and transplantation system.
Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) - An organization designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that is responsible for the procurement of organs for transplantation and the promotion of organ donation. OPOs serve as the vital link between the donor and recipient and are responsible for the identification of donors, and the retrieval, preservation and transportation of organs for transplantation
Organ Rejection - an attempt by the immune system to reject or destroy what it recognizes to be a "foreign" presence
Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) - a way of measuring the immune system activity within the body; PRA is higher when more antibodies are being made
Potassium - a mineral essential for body function
Prednisone - medication used to limit rejection; taken by recipients of a transplanted organ or tissue
Prograf® - See tacrolimus
Psychiatrist - physician who diagnoses and treats mental disorders
Rapamycin (Rapamune®) – medicine that belongs to a group of medicines known as immunosuppressive agents used to lower the body's natural immunity and prevent organ rejection in patients who receive kidney transplants
Rejection – an immune response against grafted tissue in which a recipient’s body rejects tissue or organ transferred from a donor
Shingles - a herpes virus infection that usually affects a nerve, causing pain in one area of the body
Sodium - a component of table salt (sodium chloride); an electrolyte that is the main salt in blood
Status - indicates the degree of medical urgency for patients awaiting heart or liver transplants
Survival Rates - indicate how many patients or grafts (transplanted organs) are alive or functioning at a set time post transplant
Systolic - the top of the two blood pressure numbers, which measures the maximum blood pressure reached as blood is pumped out of the heart chambers
Tacrolimus – a drug the helps keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ. Brand name is Prograf®
Thrush - a fungus infection in the mouth
Triglycerides - a form of fat that the body makes from sugar, alcohol, and excess calories
Tissue Typing - a blood test performed prior to transplantation to evaluate the closeness of tissue match between the donor and recipient
Ultrasound - device that uses ultrasonic waves to outline the shape of various tissues and organs of the body
UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) a national agency that maintains a national computerized transplant waiting list and helps locate donor organs
Urethra - a tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside
Ureters - tubes that drain urine from the kidneys to the bladder
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) - an infection of one or more parts of the urinary tract
Virus - a germ that causes infection
Waiting List – After a patient has concluded evaluation by the transplant physician, he/she is added by the transplant center to a national waiting list. Lists are specific to both geographic area and organ type. Each time a donor organ becomes available, UNOS generates a list of potential recipients based on factors that include genetic similarity, organ size, medical urgency, and time a patient has been on the waiting list
Frequent Questions and Answers (Printable PDF)
Will I feel better after a kidney transplant?
Undergoing kidney transplantation will help restore kidney function thus eliminating the need for dialysis. Most patients recover strength, and energy, and are expected to be able to live twice as long, as compared to remaining on dialysis.
How will I be evaluated as a kidney transplant recipient?
The process begins with a referral from your physician. Our transplant specialists review your medical records, and contact you and your physician to inform you of expectations and schedule a half-day appointment for a pre-transplant evaluation.
What is the process to find a donated kidney?
After you have completed the evaluation process by the transplant team, and a decision has been made that you are a good candidate for transplantation, your name is added to the UNOS national donor waiting list. There are two options for obtaining a kidney: from deceased donors or from a live donor. The average wait for a deceased donor kidney is 4 to 6 years. A living donor is the ideal choice as it expedites the waiting period. A living donor can be related or non-related and must undergo compatibility tests to ensure there is a match.
What is the length of a hospital stay after a kidney transplant?
The average hospital stay for a kidney transplant is seven days, but it varies for each patient.
Will I have to go back to the hospital after transplant?
Organ rejection is a concern after transplant. Transplant patients have a schedule of necessary follow-up visits with the transplant team which will include clinic and hospital visits.
How safe is the donor operation?
Our experience with living donors is greater than any other Texas program. Most donor operations are now done with laparoscopic techniques which speed recovery of the donor. Typically, donors return to normal activities within a few weeks.
Will I be on medications for a long time after the transplant?
Transplant patients generally start out with six to eight medications in addition to their anti-rejection medications. By six months, they generally take two to three per day. Eventually, patients are required to take only their anti-rejection medication for the rest of their life.
Will insurance pay for the transplant surgery and medications?
If a kidney transplant is medically necessary, the patient’s health insurance covers the majority of the costs.
What organization oversees transplant centers?
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is contracted by the federal government to administer the deceased donor organ waiting list, as well as collect data regarding patient outcomes for transplant centers.
Helpful Links... (Printable PDF)
The following links are provided for additional research on organ transplant topics. The Texas Transplant Institute does not take any responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of these sites.
www.donatelife.net