Intestine and Multivisceral Transplant Program

Glossary C-F

• Cadaver: the body of person who is dead

• Cadaveric (should be deceased not cadaveric) donor: an individual whose death does not affect the quality of their organs; the individual and their family have agreed to donate organs and tissues for transplantation

• Cardiac: the heart

• Cardiologist: a doctor specializing in heart diseases

• Cholesterol: a form of fat the body needs to perform certain functions; too much cholesterol can cause heart disease

• Cirrhosis: severe scarring of the liver

• CMV (Cytomegalovirus): a virus that lies dormant in the body and can be reactivated after transplantation causing flu like illness, pneumonia and/or gastrointestinal ulcers

• Diabetes: a disease in which people are unable to process sugar in the body correctly

• Donor: a person who gives an organ to someone else

• A deceased donor is an individual whose death does not affect the quality of their organs; the individual and their family have agreed to donate organs and tissues for transplantation.

• A living related donor is a donor who is a blood relative of the recipient, such as a parent or sibling

• A living unrelated donor is a donor who is not a blood relative of the recipient.

• All living donors must pass a comprehensive medical evaluation to assure they can donate without complications. The testing for living donors may take up to two to three months.

• EBV (Epstein Barr Virus): a virus that lies dormant in the body and can be activated after transplantation or during childhood causing flu-like illness, enlarged lymph nodes and/or general malaise

• Edema: excess fluid in the tissues in the body; swollen ankles are a sign

• Electrocardiogram: a recording of the electrical activity of the heart

• Encephalopathy: a condition associated with liver disease characterized by insomnia, memory loss and an inability to concentrate or think clearly

• Endotrachael tube:a tube inserted through the mouth or nose into the windpipe allowing people to breathe during surgery

Glossary G-L

• Gallbladder: a sac attached to the liver that stores bile

• Gastroenterologist: a doctor specializing in the digestive tract and its diseases

• Gingival: enlargement of the gums resulting from some anti-rejection medications; can be managed with oral hygiene and dental care

• Glucose: a type of sugar found in the blood

• Hematocrit: a measure of the percent of red blood cells in the blood

• Hepatic: having to do with the liver

• Hepatologist: a doctor specializing in the liver and its diseases

• Herpes: a family of viruses infecting humans and causing lip sores, genital sores and shingles

• Hypertension: high blood pressure; can cause damage to the body by overworking the heart and blood vessels

• Immune response: a defensive action by the immune system

• Immunosuppressive agents:medicines to control the immune system and prevent rejection of a transplanted organ

• International normalized ratio (INR): a standardized way of monitoring blood clotting

• Intravenous (IV): a line that is placed into a vein through which medicines and fluids can be administered

• Jaundice: a yellowing of the skin and eyes caused by excess bile products in the blood; common sign of liver disease

• Liver: the largest internal organ of the body, located in the upper right portion of the abdomen; performs numerous vital functions

• Liver enzymes (AST/SGOT/ALT/SGPT): substances produced by the liver; when there is injury to the liver these enzymes are produced in large amounts and can be measured in the blood

Glossary M-Z

• Match: the compatibility between a recipient and a donor

• Orally: by mouth

• PCP (Pneumocystis Carinni Pneumonia): a type of pneumonia most often seen in patients whose immune systems are suppressed

• PTLD (Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease): a problem that occurs in transplant patients and is believed to be caused by an interaction between immunosuppression medications and a chronic viral infection called EBV (Epstein Barr Virus)

• Potassium: an electrolyte responsible for vital muscle functioning

• Prothrombin: a substance produced by the liver that helps with clotting; prothrombin is a blood test that indirectly measures the ability of the liver to produce prothrombin

• Recipient: the person receiving a donated organ

• Sensitized: the ability to develop an immune response to an antigen by being exposed to it at some other time

• Shingles: a condition caused by a virus that lies dormant in a nerve root after having chicken pox and when activated can cause blisters and pain in a area of the body

• Sodium: electrolyte that is the main salt in the blood; also one component of table salt

• Stenosis (Stricture): a narrowing of a passage in the body

• Thrush: a fungal infection in the mouth

• T cells: white blood cells that play a major role in rejection destroying cells infected by bacteria and viruses; can identify new organ harming the body
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• Tissue typing: a blood test to determine the compatibility of a donor and recipient's antigens

• Tyriglycerides: a form of fat that the body makes from sugar, alcohol and excess calories

• Ultrasound: a non-invasive x-ray allowing clinicians to see and evaluate internal organs and blood vessels

• Urinary tract infection: an infection on one or more parts of the urinary tract

• Ventilator: a machine that helps a person breathe

• Virus: germ causing infection

• White blood cells: the cells in the blood that fight infection