Glossary of terms
Find out the definitions of the medical words and terms you may hear or read
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Acidosis
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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
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Acute
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Term used for a condition that starts suddenly and that may not last very long
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Acute kidney injury (AKI)
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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
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Adrenal gland
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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
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Afferent arteriole
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The tiny blood vessel that takes blood into the glomerulus (afferent means carried in)
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Albumin
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The most abundant type of protein in the body
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Albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR)
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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
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Albuminuria
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An abnormal amount of albumin in the urine
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Alpha-blockers
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Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. They are also called alpha-adrenoceptor-blocking medicines.
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Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)
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Measuring blood pressure when you are moving around; this may be done in your home
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Anaesthesia
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Use of medicines (anaesthetics) to avoid feeling pain
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Anaesthetic
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Medicine that is given to avoid feeling pain - this includes local anaesethetics, 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
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Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
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Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure; may also be called angiotensin II receptor antagonists
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Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
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Medicines that relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure
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Anorexia
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Not eating enough food
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Antibiotic
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A type of medicine that kills bacteria causing an infection
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Antibodies
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Proteins that are made in the body to destroy bacteria and viruses; they are part of the immune system
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Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
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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.
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Anuria
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Passing no urine
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Arrhythmia
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Irregular heartbeat
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Arteries
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One of two types of blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body
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Atrial fibrillation
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Abnormal heartbeat
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Autoimmune condition
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When the immune system is not working properly and can start to damage parts of the body
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Beta-blockers
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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
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Bicarbonate
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A type of mineral, or electrolyte, in the body that indicates the amount of acid in the body, or the pH balance
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Biopsy
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A procedure in which a small piece of an organ, such as the kidney, is removed from the body and examined
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Biopsy site
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the area where a needle is inserted during a kidney biopsy