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Emory Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Center: Glossary of Terms

• Anesthesia
  medicine given by injection or mouth that causes partial or complete loss of feeling for a period of time, usually during surgery

• Antirejection Medicine
  (See Immunosuppressants)

• Antibiotics
  drugs taken to prevent infections and kill bacteria

• Antihypertensive
  medicine that prevents or controls high blood pressure

• Aspirin
  pain reliever taken by mouth; also helps to prevent blood clot formation

• Cardiac Catheterization
  a procedure in which a small tube is guided through a vein or an artery into the right or left side of the heart to check the function of the heart and the coronary arteries

• Cardiologist
  doctor who studies and treats diseases of the heart

• Catheter
  tube, generally small and flexible, inserted into the body, to infuse medications, monitor organ function and drain fluid

• CellCept®
  immunosuppressant drug used mainly to prevent the body from rejecting an organ or tissue transplant (see also mycophenolate mofetil)

• Cholesterol
  fat substance found in animal meats, dairy products and produced by the liver; a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a risk factor for developing heart disease Blood cholesterol can be elevated by cyclosporine

• Clinical Nutritionist
  specialist in selecting foods that repair or maintain the body

• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
  a very common virus that usually causes a flu-like illness with fever, general body aches, and a decreased appetite which lasts two or three days

• Congenital
  existing at birth

• Cyclosporine
  drug that helps keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ Brand names include Neoral® and Gengraf®

• Dermatology
  study and treatment of skin

• Diabetes
  the body’s inability to control the amount of insulin or blood sugar it produces for energy

• Diastolic Blood Pressure
  bottom number of the blood pressure reading that shows the amount of resistance in the blood vessels that the heart has to overcome

• Donor
  person who gives an organ to be used in another person

• Echocardiogram
  diagnostic test that uses reflected sound wave images to see the heart and provides information regarding the structure and function of the heart

• Edema
  swelling of body tissue caused by fluid leaking from blood vessels

• Fluid Retention
  condition in which the body stores excess fluid

• Glomeruli
  A capillary bed that is found in the nephrons of the kidneys The cells in the glomerulus filtrate blood that enters into the kidney

• Glucagon
  Substance produced by the pancreas that raises your blood sugar level by stimulating sugar production in various organs

• Idiopathic
  arising from an unknown or obscure cause

• Immune System
  your body’s natural defense system against foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria, some types of cancers, and sometimes transplanted organs or tissue

• Immunization
  giving antibodies or other agents to protect against disease

• Immunosuppressants
  drugs that help treat or prevent the immune system from rejecting an organ or tissue transplant

• Immunosupression
  process of preventing the body’s immune system from rejecting an organ or tissue transplant

• Infection
  condition in which the body is invaded by a disease-causing micro-organism

• Insulin
  Substance produced by the pancreas thathelps your body absorb blood sugar from the blood into your cells to produce energy

• Intravenous (IV)
  a catheter (small tube) inserted into a vein so that fluid, blood or medicine can be received

• Lab Draw
  process of taking blood or urine for laboratory analysis

• Laboratory (Lab)
  place where blood and specimens are studied and identified

• LifeLink
  organization which matches organs and tissues with potential recipients

• Medic Alert
  nonprofit organization that provides a bracelet or necklace with your personal medical information which can be used by medical personnel in case you have a car accident or other type of emergency

• Nephrologist
  doctor who studies and treats diseases of the kidneys

• Nephrons
  The basic structural and functional unit of the kidney The basic function of the kidney is to regulate water and soluble substances in the body by filtering it all out first, reabsorbing what should be kept and excreting the rest

• Post-transplant
  after transplantation

• Pravachol
  drug that lowers cholesterol

• Prednisone
  medication used to limit rejection of a transplanted organ or tissue

• Pre-transplant
  before transplantation

• Prograf®
  (See tacrolimus)

• Prostate
  gland around the neck of the bladder and urethra in males that secretes ejaculatory fluid

• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
  special blood test recommended for men over the age of 50 to screen for prostate cancer

• Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
  nurse specially trained to help you and your family deal with behavioral and mental issues such as stress, anxiety, depression and addiction

• Psychiatrist
  physician who diagnoses and treats mental disorders

• Rectal
  lower part of the colon or large intestine

• Rejection
  condition in which recipient’s body rejects tissue or organ transferred from a donor

• Status
  patient’s current condition

• Systolic Blood Pressure
  amount of force used by the heart to eject blood out of the heart; “systolic” refers to the top number read as part of blood pressure

• Tacrolimus
  drug the helps keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ Brand name is Prograf®

• Testicular
  Relating to the male reproductive glands that produce reproductive cells and the hormone testosterone

• Tetanus
  infectious disease that causes painful muscle contractions; also known as lockjaw

• Transplant Coordinator
  specially trained, registered nurse who coordinates care for patients before and after transplantation

• Transplant Surgeon
  highly trained doctor who perfoms the transplant operation

• Transplantation
  transfer of living tissue or organs from one person to another

• Ultrasound
  device that uses ultrasonic waves to outline the shape of various tissues and organs of the body

• UNOS
  United Network for Organ Sharing, a national agency that maintains a national computerized transplant waiting list and helps locate donor organs

• Vaccination
  injection that builds your body’s resistance to an infection

• Vital Signs
  temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure

• Zantac®
  drug used to treat stomach problems like peptic ulcers and heartburn