Kidney Health Glossary

Kidney Disease & Conditions

• Nephrology / Nephrologist — The medical specialty, and specialist doctor, focused on kidney health and disease.
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) — Long-term, gradual loss of kidney function over time.
• Kidney Failure — When the kidneys can no longer filter waste and fluid from the blood adequately.
• Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) — A genetic disorder causing fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys.
• Genetic Kidney Disease — Kidney conditions caused by inherited gene changes, passed down in families.
• Diabetic Kidney Disease — Kidney damage caused by long-term diabetes.
• Hypertension — High blood pressure, a major cause and complication of kidney disease.
• Edema — Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) — An infection anywhere in the urinary system.
• Urinary Stones / Kidney Stones — Hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys or urinary tract.
• Mineral Bone Disease (in CKD) — A complication where kidney disease disrupts calcium, phosphorus, and bone health.
• Hyperkalemia — Higher-than-normal potassium levels in the blood, which can affect the heart.
• Kidney Cancer / RCC — Cancer that begins in the cells of the kidney.
• Prostate Concerns — General term for prostate gland issues, sometimes overlapping with urinary symptoms.
• Pregnancy with Kidney Disease — Special guidance and monitoring needed when managing kidney disease during pregnancy.
• Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) — A sudden, often reversible drop in kidney function developing over hours to days.
• End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD/ESRF) — The most advanced stage of chronic kidney disease, needing dialysis or transplant.
• Glomerulonephritis — Inflammation of the kidney’s tiny filtering units.
• Nephritis — A general term for inflammation of the kidney.
• Anaemia (in Kidney Disease) — A shortage of red blood cells common in kidney failure.
• Proteinuria — Excess protein in the urine, often an early sign of kidney damage.
• Reflux Nephropathy — Kidney damage from urine flowing backward toward the kidney.
• Uraemia — Buildup of waste products in the blood that makes a person feel unwell.

Dialysis & Vascular Access

• Dialysis — A treatment that filters waste and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys can’t.
• Hemodialysis — Dialysis done by circulating blood through an external machine to clean it.
• Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) — A form of dialysis done at home using the lining of the abdomen as a natural filter.
• Online Hemodiafiltration (HDF) — An advanced form of dialysis combining two filtering methods.
• CRRT — A slow, continuous form of dialysis used for critically ill ICU patients.
• SLED — A gentler, extended dialysis session often used in ICU settings.
• SCUF — A dialysis-related technique used mainly to remove excess fluid.
• Dialysis Catheter — A tube inserted into a vein to allow blood access for dialysis.
• Tunneled Catheter / Permcath — A longer-term dialysis catheter placed under the skin.
• IJV & Femoral Lines — Emergency catheter access placed in the neck or groin vein.
• AV Fistula — A surgically created connection between an artery and vein for long-term dialysis access.
• AV Fistula Complications — Risks such as clotting, narrowing, infection, or aneurysm affecting a fistula.
• Access for Dialysis — The general term for connecting to a dialysis machine — fistula, graft, or catheter.
• Peritonitis — An infection of the abdominal lining, a risk for peritoneal dialysis patients.
• Ultrafiltration — The removal of excess fluid from the blood, naturally or during dialysis.

Kidney Transplant

• Kidney / Renal Transplant — Surgery to place a healthy donor kidney into a patient with kidney failure.
• Deceased Donor Transplant — A transplant using a kidney from a deceased donor.
• ABO Incompatible (ABOi) Transplant — A transplant between donor and recipient with different, normally incompatible blood groups.
• Swap Kidney Transplant — Two donor-recipient pairs exchange kidneys because their own donor isn’t a match.
• Desensitization — Treatment given before transplant to reduce antibody levels so a mismatched kidney can be accepted.
• HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) — Proteins on cells that the immune system uses to identify a match for transplant.
• Graft Rejection — When the immune system attacks and damages a transplanted kidney.
• Post-Transplant Care — Ongoing monitoring and treatment after a transplant to keep the new kidney healthy.
• Living Related Transplant — A kidney donated by a blood relative of the patient.
• Nephrectomy — Surgical removal of a kidney, relevant to living donor evaluation.

Diagnostics & Procedures

• Serum Creatinine — A blood test marker used to measure how well the kidneys are filtering waste.
• Kidney Biopsy (USG-Guided) — A procedure using ultrasound guidance to take a small kidney tissue sample.
• Diagnostic Renal Angiography / Angioplasty — An imaging procedure to examine and open narrowed blood vessels supplying the kidney.
• ECG (Electrocardiogram) — A test recording the heart’s electrical activity, used to detect hyperkalemia-related changes.
• eGFR — A calculated score, from a blood test, showing how well the kidneys are filtering waste.

This glossary is for general patient understanding and educational purposes only — it is not a substitute for advice from your doctor. Always consult Prof. (Dr.) Debabrata Mukherjee or your treating physician about your specific condition.