Terminology

Acute—a disorder or symptom that comes on suddenly, may or may not be severe, and subsides after a short time

Antibody—a molecule produced by the body to defend itself against bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances

Ascites—an abnormal pooling of fluid in the abdominal cavity that can lead to swelling, dilution of the blood, or a reduction of urinary output

Backloading—a method of preparing and sharing drugs for injection that reduces waste by using two syringes. The drug solution is drawn up into one syringe, the plunger is taken out of the other, and some of the solution is squirted into the second syringe.

Chronic—a disease or disorder that develops slowly and persists for a long time, possibly the rest of a person's life

Cirrhosis—a chronic disease that causes the liver to degenerate until it can no longer effectively remove toxic substances from the blood

EIA test (also called the ELISA, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay)—a laboratory blood test commonly used to diagnose infectious diseases and detect such conditions as ulcers and hepatitis C

Fibrosis—the spread of fibrous connective tissue over normal smooth muscle or other organ tissue, most commonly in the heart, lungs, and kidneys

Frontloading—a method of preparing and sharing drugs for injection that reduces waste by using two syringes, similar to backloading. The drug solution is drawn up into one syringe, the needle is removed from the other, and some of the solution is squirted into the second syringe

Genotype—the genetic make-up of an organism or individual, as determined by the combination and location of genes on the chromosomes

PCR—Polymerase Chain Reaction, a process that examines a single strand of DNA to make prenatal diagnoses of genetic diseases or provide identification of an individual

Pegylation—a process intended to lengthen the time a substance remains in the bloodstream without being metabolized and excreted by the body. This is accomplished through the addition of a fat (polyethylene glycol) molecule to the substance

Skin popping—a method of extending the effects of drug use by injecting the drug between the skin and a fat layer, causing the drug to enter the bloodstream more slowly than it would through direct injection into the blood