Kidney Diseases Dictionary: E – K

E

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edema (eh-DEE-muh):

Swelling caused by too much fluid in the body.

electrolytes (ee-LEK-troh-lites):

Chemicals in the body fluids that result from the breakdown of salts, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. The kidneys control the amount of electrolytes in the body. When the kidneys fail, electrolytes get out of balance, causing potentially serious health problems. Dialysis can correct this problem.

end-stage renal (REE-nul) disease (ESRD):

Total chronic kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, the body retains fluid and harmful wastes build up. A person with ESRD needs treatment to replace the work of the failed kidneys.

erythropoietin (eh-RITH-roh-POY-uh-tin):

A hormone made by the kidneys to help form red blood cells. Lack of this hormone may lead to anemia.

ESRD:

See end-stage renal disease.

ESWL:

See extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy.

exchange:

A cycle in peritoneal dialysis in which the patient fills the abdominal cavity with dialysis solution, carries it for a specified dwell time, and then empties it from the abdomen in preparation for a fresh bag of dialysis solution.

extracorporeal (EKS-truh-kor-POR-ee-ul) shockwave lithotripsy (LITH-oh-TRIP-see) (ESWL):

A nonsurgical procedure using shock waves to break up kidney stones.

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fistula (FIST-yoo-lah):

See arteriovenous fistula.

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glomerular (gloh-MEHR-yoo-ler) filtration rate (GFR):

A calculation of how efficiently the kidneys are filtering wastes from the blood. A traditional GFR calculation requires an injection into the bloodstream of a fluid that is later measured in a 24-hour urine collection. A modified GFR calculation requires only that the creatinine in a blood sample be measured. Each laboratory has its own normal range for measurements. Generally, the normal range for men is 97 to 137 mL/min/1.73 m² of body surface area. The normal range for women is 88 to 128 mL/min/1.73 m².

glomeruli (gloh-MEHR-yoo-lie):

Plural of glomerulus.

glomerulonephritis (gloh-MEHR-yoo-loh-nef-RY-tis):

Inflammation of the glomeruli. Most often, it is caused by an autoimmune disease, but it can also result from infection.

glomerulosclerosis (gloh-MEHR-yoo-loh-skleh-ROH-sis):

Scarring of the glomeruli. It may result from diabetes mellitus (diabetic glomerulosclerosis) or from deposits in parts of the glomeruli (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis). The most common signs of glomerulosclerosis are proteinuria and chronic kidney disease.

glomerulus (gloh-MEHR-yoo-lus):

A tiny set of looping blood vessels in the nephron where blood is filtered in the kidney.

Goodpasture syndrome:

An uncommon disease that usually includes bleeding from the lungs, coughing up of blood, and inflammation of the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure. This condition is an autoimmune disease.

graft:

In hemodialysis (see dialysis), a vascular access surgically created using a synthetic tube to connect an artery to a vein. In transplantation (see transplant), a graft is the transplanted organ or tissue.

Graft

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hematocrit (hee-MAT-uh-krit):

A measure that tells what portion of a blood sample consists of red blood cells. Low hematocrit suggests anemia or massive blood loss.

hematuria (HEE-muh-TOOR-ee-uh):

Blood in the urine, which can be a sign of a kidney stone, glomerulonephritis, or other kidney problem.

hemodialysis:

See dialysis.

hemolytic (HEE-moh-LIT-ik) uremic (yoo-REE-mik) syndrome (SIN-drome) (HUS):

A disease that affects the blood and blood vessels. It destroys red blood cells, cells that cause the blood to clot, and the lining of blood vessels. HUS is often caused by the Escherichia coli bacterium in contaminated food. People with HUS may develop acute renal failure.

hormone (HOR-mone):

A natural chemical produced in one part of the body and released into the blood to trigger or regulate particular functions of the body. The kidney releases three hormones: erythropoietin, renin, and an active form of vitamin D that helps regulate calcium for bones.

hydronephrosis (HY-droh-nef-ROH-sis):

Swelling of the top of the ureter, usually because something is blocking the urine from flowing into or out of the bladder.

d

Hydronephrosis

hypercalciuria (HY-per-kal-see-YOO-ree-uh):

Abnormally large amounts of calcium in the urine.

hyperoxaluria (HY-per-ox-uh-LOO-ree-uh):

Unusually large amounts of oxalate in the urine, leading to kidney stones.

hypertension (HY-per-TEN-shun):

High blood pressure, which can be caused either by too much fluid in the blood vessels or by narrowing of the blood vessels.

d

Hypertension

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IgA nephropathy (nef-RAHP-uh-thee):

A kidney disorder caused by deposits of the protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) inside the glomeruli (filters) within the kidney. The IgA protein damages the glomeruli, leading to blood and protein in the urine, to swelling in the hands and feet, and sometimes to kidney failure.

immune (im-YOON) system:

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

immunosuppressant (im-YOON-oh-suh-PRESS-unt):

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

interstitial (IN-ter-STISH-ul) nephritis (nef-RY-tis):

Inflammation of the kidney cells that are not part of the fluid-collecting units, a condition that can lead to acute renal failure or chronic kidney disease.

intravenous (IN-truh-VEE-nus) pyelogram (PY-loh-gram):

An x ray of the urinary tract. A dye is injected to make the kidneys, ureters, and bladder visible on the x ray and show any blockage in the urinary tract.

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kidney (KID-nee):

One of the two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes from the blood. The kidneys are located near the middle of the back. They create urine, which is delivered to the bladder through tubes called ureters.

kidney failure:

Loss of kidney function. (See also end-stage renal disease, acute renal failure, and chronic kidney disease.)

kidney stone:

A stone that develops from crystals that form in urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney, in the renal pelvis, or in the ureters.

Kt/V (kay-tee over vee):

A measurement of dialysis dose. The measurement takes into account the efficiency of the dialyzer, the treatment time, and the total volume of urea in the body. See also URR.

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