Health care terms

Adsorber systems
These are treatments for selective blood purification. A housing filled with a specific material (powder/gel) is passed through blood or plasma. The material consists of a solid carrier material with a big surface bound to active groups/molecules which selectively bind/adsorb harmful substances/pathogens from the blood/plasma. 

Albumin
A protein that can be used to monitor a patient’s nutritional condition.

Antibodies
Antibodies are proteins that bind specifically to a particular substance, its antigen. Antibodies are known collectively as immunoglobulins. They are produced by B-lymphocytes and plasma cells in response to infection or immunization, and bind to and neutralize pathogens, thus preparing them for uptake and destruction of phagocytes.

Apheresis
Process of obtaining blood from a donor or patient to separate or remove certain components (thrombocytes plasma) before re-infuding the remainder.

Ascites
Accumulation of excess fluid in the abdomen due to disturbed balance of influx and efflux as a result of a malignant disease.

Blood volume replacement
Infusion solution to compensate blood loss.

Colloids
Blood and plasma substitutes.

Compounding
Mixing of different solutions or components for I.V. or parental nutrition therapy.

Dialysis
A type of renal replacement therapy where a semipermeable membrane – in peritoneal dialysis the peritoneum of the patient, and in hemodialysis the membrane of the dialyzer – is used for selective solute removal.

Dialysis machine
The hemodialysis process is controlled by a dialysis machine which pumps blood, adds anticoagulants, regulates the cleansing process, and controls the mixture of dialysate and its flow rate through the system.

Dialysis solution
Fluid used in the process of dialysis

Dialyzer
Special filter used in hemodialysis for removing toxic substances and excess water from the blood.

Disease Management
Holistic concept of patient treatment taking into account all medical aspects associated with the disease.

Enteral nutrition
Application of liquid nutrition as a tube or sip feed via the gastrointestinal tract.

EPO (Erythropoietin)
Hormone that stimulates red blood cell production. Recombinant (i.e. artificially produced) human EPO is commonly prescribed to patients on dialysis who suffer from anemia.

ESA
Esa is the generic term for artificially produced human erythropoietin

Extracorporeal
Taking place outside the body.

Graft-versus-Host-Disease
(aGvHD) Rejection of a transplanted organ, caused by T-cells in the donor graft that attack the host organism.

HACCP Concept (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)
A process that proves conformity with valid norms.

Hemodiafiltration (HDF)
Special mode of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) treatment, combining advantages of hemodialysis and hemofiltration, i. e. high elimination rates for small and large molecular weight substances via diffusive and convective mechanisms, respectively.

Hemodialysis (HD)
A treatment method for dialysis patients where the blood of the patient is cleansed by a dialyzer. The solute exchange between blood and dialysate is dominated by diffusive processes.

Immunosuppressive agent
Drug that artificially suppresses or weakens the immune reaction of the organism. It is used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases or to prevent transplanted organs being rejected.