Kidney Acronyms & Medical Terms

  • Nephrology is the branch of medicine that deals with the physiology and diseases of the kidneys.
  • PKD – Polycystic Kidney Disease
    • ADPKD – Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
    • ARPKD – Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease
  • ESRD – End Stage Renal Disease
    • Last (5th) stage of Chronic Kidney disease
  • CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease
    • 5 stages which indicate severity of disease
  • Kidney Stones
    • Calcium Stones (80%)
    • Uric Acid Stones (5-10%)
    • Struvite Stones (10)
    • Cystine Stones (> 1%)
  • DKD – Diabetic Kidney Disease
  • AKI – Acute Kidney Injury
  • GN – Glomerulonephritis
    • Acute
    • Chronic
  • Fabry Disease
    • Inherited Disease (X-Linked)
  • Pyelonephritis
    • Inflammation of Kidney Tissue
  • Proteinuria
    • Excess amount of protein in urine, can be nephrotic or non-nephrotic
  • Hematuria
    • Presence of blood in urine
  • Renal Osteodystrophy
    • Bone disease that results from the kidneys failure to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood
  • Hypertension: increased blood pressure.
  • Uremia
    • Urea present in blood. Urea is protein metabolism end products (waste).
  • Nephrotic Syndrome
    • Presence of heavy proteinuria (protein in urine), hypoalbuminemia (decreased albumin in blood), and edema (swelling)
  • UTI - Urinary Tract Infection
    • Bacteria E. Coli get into urinary tract through urethra and make their way up and infect the kidneys
  • Metabolic Acidosis
    • Buildup of acid in the body due to kidneys failure to remove it from the blood
  • Goodpasture Syndrome
    • Autoimmune disease where the body mistakenly produces antibodies which attack collagen in the kidneys.