Glossary of terms

Acidosis

Too much acid in the body; this can happen when the kidneys do not remove enough acid into the urine. May also be called metabolic acidosis.
Acute

Term used for a condition that starts suddenly and that may not last very long.
Acute kidney injury (AKI)

A condition where the kidneys suddenly stop working properly. This can happen over a period of a few days or a few weeks. In some children it can be very serious.
Adrenal gland

Gland that sits on top of each kidney and helps to regulate (control) how it works. “Ad” means near or next to, and “renal” means kidney.
Albumin

The most abundant type of protein in the body.
Albumin : creatinine ratio (ACR)

An accurate way of measuring the level of albuminuria, or albumin in the urine. It compares the amount of albumin to the amount of creatinine in a urine sample.
Albuminuria

An abnormal amount of albumin in the urine.
Alpha-blockers

Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. They are also called alpha-adrenoceptor-blocking medicines.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)

Measuring blood pressure when you are moving around; this may be done in your home.
Anaemia

A shortage of red blood cells in the body, measured as haemoglobin levels or red blood cell count.
Anaesthesia

Use of medicines (anaesthetics) to avoid feeling pain.
Anaesthetic

Medicine that is given to avoid feeling pain – this includes local anaesthetics, which are applied to a particular site on the body, and general anaesthesia, which makes a patient go to sleep to avoid feeling pain anywhere in the body.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure.
Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)

Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure; may also be called angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
Antibiotic

A type of medicine to treat bacterial infections.
Antibodies

Proteins that are made in the body to destroy bacteria and viruses; they are part of the immune system.
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

A hormone that controls how much urine the body makes. ADH is carried in the blood to the cells in the kidneys. When a lot of ADH is released, the kidneys re-absorb (take back) more water. This means there is less water in the urine, and so it is more concentrated.
Anuria

Passing no urine.
Arrhythmia

Irregular heartbeat.
Arteries

One of two types of blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body.
Atrial fibrillation

Abnormal heartbeat.
Autoimmune condition

When the immune system is not working properly and can start to damage parts of the body.
Beta-blockers

Medicines that make the heart beat more slowly and with less force, to reduce blood pressure. They may also be called beta-adrenoceptor-blocking medicines.
Bicarbonate

A type of mineral, or electrolyte, in the body that indicates the amount of acid in the body, or the pH balance.
Biopsy

A procedure in which a small piece of an organ, such as the kidney, is removed from the body and examined.
Biopsy site

The area where a needle is inserted during a kidney biopsy.
Calcium

A mineral that is important throughout the body, especially in bones. The level of calcium in blood may be low in in people who do not have enough calcium in their diet, with low vitamin D levels, or with acute kidney injury or advanced chronic kidney disease as they fail to produce enough activated vitamin D.
Catheter

A flexible plastic tube used to enter the inside of the body. Different types of catheter may be used for dialysis or to drain urine from the bladder.
Chronic

Present for a long time. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), for at least 3 months. CKD can be mild or severe depending on the kidney function.
Clearance

How efficient the body is at getting rid of waste products. Clearance is one of the main functions of the kidneys. In CKD, clearance is reduced and waste products can build up in the blood.
Creatinine

A waste product produced by the muscles. The higher the blood creatinine level, the worse the kidneys are working. The blood creatinine level is used to calculate the eGFR, an estimate of kidney function.
CT scan

Abbreviation for a computerised tomography scan. An X-ray test that produces cross sectional images of the inside of the body.
Dialysis

An artificial process to remove waste products and excess water from the body. This can be directly from the blood, as in haemodialysis, or from the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal dialysis). It usually needs to be performed several times each week over several hours.
Donor

A person who donates (gives) an organ to another person (the recipient).