Heart and Lung Transplant Glossary of Terms

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Acetone: A volatile liquid used as an industrial solvent. Acetone is also one of the keton...

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Antiviral: An agent that kills a virus or that suppresses its ability to replicate and, he...

Aorta: The largest artery in the body, the aorta arises from the left ventricle of the he...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Bone marrow: The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Bronchiolitis: Inflammation of the bronchioles, usually due to viral infections.

Bronchoscopy: A procedure that permits the doctor to see the breathing passages through a...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Cardiovascular disease: Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels.

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Coronary arteries: The vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood rich in oxygen. The...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cyanosis: A bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen i...

Cystic fibrosis: A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is ch...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Donor: The giver of a tissue or an organ, such as a blood donor or kidney donor.

Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnea is a sign of serious...

Echocardiography: Echocardiography is a diagnostic test which uses ultrasound waves to m...

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Emphysema: 1) A lung condition featuring an abnormal accumulation of air in the lung's ma...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Gingiva: The gums.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Heart muscle: A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart mus...

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Heart transplant: A surgical procedure in which a diseased heart is replaced with a healt...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

High blood sugar: An elevated level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Also called hypergl...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Scarring throughout the lungs without an identifiable cause...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunosuppression: Suppression of the immune system and its ability to fight infection. Im...

Immunosuppressive: 1. Pertaining to immunosuppression, the suppression of the immun...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

Indication: 1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or proce...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Ischemia: Inadequate blood supply to a local area due to blockage of blood vessels leading...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Left ventricular assist device: See: Ventricular assist device.

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lung transplant: The first lung transplant was done by the American surgeon James Ha...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

LVAD: Left ventricular assist device. See: Ventricular assist device.

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Medical school: A school with a curriculum leading to a medical degree. The mission of eve...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Orthopnea: The inability to breathe easily except when sitting up straight or standing ere...

Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calc...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

PA-C: Physician Assistant - Certified.

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Postoperative: After surgery. As opposed to preoperative, before surgery.

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continui...

Primary care provider: In insurance parlance, a physician who is chosen by or assigned to ...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary fibrosis: Scarring throughout the lungs that can be caused by many conditions, s...

Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. This elevated blood...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Rejection: In transplantation biology, when the body's immune system attacks transplanted ...

Rheumatic fever: An illness that occurs following a streptococcus infection (such as a "st...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Sirolimus: A naturally occurring substance discovered in a soil sample from Easter Island...

Sputum: Mucous material from the lungs that is produced (brought up) by coughing.

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Tiredness: See: Tired.

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Tremor: An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and...

UNOS: United Network for Organ Sharing.

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Ventricular: Pertaining to the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart, as in ventricu...

Ventricular assist device: A mechanical pump that takes over the function of the damaged v...

Wheezing: A whistling noise in the chest during breathing. Wheezing occurs when the airway...

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...

White blood cell count (leukocyte count): The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the b...