Find more information about some of the medical words and terms you may hear or read relating to kidney conditions in babies, children and young people.
A doctor who specialises in kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation.
The space inside the abdomen. The peritoneal cavity contains the abdominal organs, including the stomach, liver and bowels. It normally contains only about 100ml of liquid, but expands easily to provide a reservoir for the dialysis fluid to act in peritoneal dialysis.
A form of dialysis in which a special PD fluid is placed inside the peritoneal cavity. Waste product from the body leaks into the PD fluid which is then drained out. PD helps to remove waste products and excess fluid that build up in your body when your kidneys stop working.
One of the important minerals that is present in the blood, and is usually kept in a stable amount by normal working kidneys. Either too much or too little potassium can be dangerous.
A lot of food, especially meat, contains protein. Adequate protein intake is important for growth and to make important parts of the body such as muscles. Protein is broken down into a waste chemical called urea, which is removed by the kidneys.
Cells in the blood which carry oxygen from the lungs around the body. Also known as erythrocytes.
Relating to the kidneys.