The part of the body containing the internal organs. Located between the pelvis and the chest cavity.

A way to get into the body. Access to the bloodstream for haemodialysis is gained via fistulae, grafts, etc. Access to the peritoneal cavity for peritoneal dialysis is via a catheter.

Rapidly developing; severe; short duration.

Sudden and severe decrease in kidney function that is short term.

A deficiency of the oxygen carrying pigment of Haemglobin often accompanied by a reduced number of circulating red blood cells; common in patients on dialysis due to decreased red blood cell production and procedural blood loss. The major symptoms are fatigue, tiredness, breathlessness on exertion, pallor and poor resistance to infection.

Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic reaction is an immediate, severe reaction to a substance to which an individual is allergic. The reaction may include signs and/or symptoms such as hives, itching or wheezing. The reaction may develop into anaphylactic shock, which can cause life-threatening consequences such as hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias or arrest, spasms of the breathing passages and swelling of the throat.

Medication used to kill bacteria and fight infection.

Medication that delays or stops the clotting of blood such as Coumadin® or heparin.

Medication that lowers blood pressure.

A chemical which prevents or inhibits growth and reproduction of bacteria; it does not necessarily destroy them as a disinfectant would.

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

Hardening of the arteries.

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

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

A machine that supports and monitors the functioning of the artificial kidney (dialyser). Also called “haemodialysis machine.”

A form of dialysis that uses a cycling machine to infuse and drain dialysate automatically from the peritoneal cavity several times during the night while the patient sleeps.

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

See “dialysate.”

Measurement of certain chemicals in the blood.

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

The 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. The diastolic (bottom) number is the pressure when the heart is at rest.

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

Sound produced by the blood flowing though a graft, fistula, or shunt.

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

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

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

Anything to do with the heart.

HD therapy system specially designed for optimised cardiovascular protection

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

Damage to the kidneys that cannot be reversed, usually progressive in nature.

Rate that waste products in the blood are removed through dialysis expressed in millilitres/minute.

The process of forming a blood clot.

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.

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

A form of dialysis in which dialysate drains into and out of the peritoneal cavity by gravity several times a day.

Involuntary muscle contractions and relaxation.

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.

Testing of blood and tissues to check compatibility of donor kidney and patient for kidney transplantation.

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

Solution containing water and chemicals (electrolytes) that passes through the artificial kidney to remove excess fluids and wastes from the blood, also called “bath.”

Rate at which dialysate flows through the dialyser.

See “artificial kidney”.

Cleansing the body of unwanted toxins, waste products and excess fluid by filtering them from the blood through a semi-permeable membrane.

Regimen based on the individual needs of the renal failure patient to reestablish physical balance.

Passage of particles from an area of high concentration to a solution of low concentration resulting in an even distribution of particles.

An agent which will kill most microorganisms (bacteria, viruses) it contacts.

The weight of a dialysis patient when excess fluid has been removed. Also known as “ideal weight”.

Length of time dialysis solution stays in the peritoneal cavity during peritoneal dialysis.

Stage of kidney damage that requires dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain life. Another term for permanent kidney failure.

The process of changing used dialysate for fresh solution in peritoneal dialysis.

The area where the needles enter or exit through the access. Also, where a peritoneal dialysis catheter or subclavian catheter exits the skin.

The surgical joining of an artery and a vein so that the vein enlarges due to the flow of arterial blood. A fistula is a type of access, also known as an 'arteriovenous fistula'.

Point at which extra fluid in the body causes edema, difficulty in breathing or extra strain on the heart.

Inflammation of the kidney’s filters (glomeruli).

In dialysis, surgical placement of a material between an artery and vein to create a circulatory access for haemodialysis. Graft also refers to a transplanted kidney.

The ratio of red blood cells to whole blood.

See “artificial kidney”.

Removal of excess fluids and waste products by passage of blood through an artificial kidney.

Red, protein portion of the red blood cell which carries oxygen from lungs to body tissues.

An anticoagulant given in haemodialysis to slow clotting time so that blood will not clot in the lines or dialyser.

Inflammation of the liver caused by virus, bacteria, toxic agents or medication.

Substance that indicates infection with hepatitis B. Testing for this antigen is performed frequently on clinic staff and patients.

High blood pressure.

Low blood pressure.

Type of medication that suppresses the body’s immune response. Given to transplant recipients to help prevent rejection of the transplanted kidney.

Invasion of the body by disease - producing organisms and the reaction of the tissues to their presence.

Localised heat, redness, swelling and pain; usually as a result of infection or irritation.

Within a vein.

Two bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the spinal column. Kidneys maintain the body’s chemical balance by excreting waste products and excess fluid in the form of urine.

Clearance x time / volume. Measure that indicates how well waste products have been removed by dialysis treatment.

Thin layer of tissue or material, usually an outer layer or lining of organs or group of organs.  

Physical and chemical changes occurring within the body in order to produce energy.

Inorganic substances necessary to normal body function, but toxic in high concentrations.

(noun) Electronic device used to check, remind, or warn.
(verb) Watching patients during their treatments, or checking the adequacy of treatments over time.

The feeling that one is about to vomit

Surgical removal of the kidney.

Doctor specialising in kidney disorders.

The tiny filtering unit of kidney which maintains the body’s chemical balance. There are approximately one million nephrons in each healthy kidney.

Any disease of the nerves.

Swelling or puffiness due to buildup of excess fluid in the tissues most noticeable in ankles, hands and face. Occurs in dialysis patients as a result of excess fluid intake or decreased ultrafiltration.

Movement of fluid through a semipermeable membrane to achieve equal concentration on both sides of the membrane.

Irregular beating of the heart.

Small glands located in the neck that produce a hormone which regulates calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood.

Surgical removal of the parathyroid glands usually part of the treatment of hyperparathyroidism.

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

Inflammation of the pericardium, the sac-like structure surrounding the heart.

Space surrounding the abdominal organs located under the abdominal muscles.

A form of dialysis in which the lining of the abdomen, the peritoneal membrane, acts as a natural filter.

Smooth, semipermeable membrane that covers the abdominal organs and lines the abdominal cavity.

Infection of the peritoneal cavity that must be treated immediately by a doctor.

Medications that bind with dietary phosphorus so that it may be eliminated from the body; helps keep calcium and phosphorus in balance for dialysis patients.

An element necessary for normal body functions, especially bone formation.

Hereditary disease involving growth of cysts on kidney tissue.

An element needed by the body for normal muscle and nerve function and cell maintenance.

Group of nitrogen containing compounds found in the body that are essential to life.

Itching.

Throbbing sensation felt in the arteries in time with the heartbeat.

Type of blood cell containing haemoglobin which carries oxygen to the tissues.

Referring to the kidneys.

Material that allows only fluids and small particles to flow through.

Element found in the body that helps regulate the body’s fluid content.

Totally free from any living microorganisms.

Pulsation (vibration or buzzing) felt over the graft or fistula.

Matching the blood cells of potential transplant recipients with donors.

Waste product in the blood or any substance that is poisonous.

Process used to remove excess fluid from the blood during dialysis.

Build-up of waste products in the blood due to the inability of the kidneys to excrete them.

Main breakdown product of protein metabolism. It is the chemical form in which unwanted nitrogen is excreted from the body.

Urea reduction ratio. Percentage based on how much blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was removed during a dialysis treatment. Indicates how effectively urea and other waste products have been removed.

Referring to blood vessels.

Blood vessel that carries blood from the parts of the body back to the heart.

Referring to veins and the flow of blood to the heart.

Tube that carries blood from the dialyser back to the body.

Substances formed from the breakdown of protein in foods and from normal muscle tissue.

Type of blood cell that fights infection in the body.