Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

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kidney scoping
ketoacidosis
A life-threatening feature of uncon-
trolled diabetes that is characterized by a combina-
tion of ketosis and acidosis. Ketosis is the
accumulation of substances called ketone bodies in
the blood. Acidosis is increased acidity of the blood.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis include slow, deep
breathing with a fruity odor to the breath, confu-
sion, frequent urination (polyuria), poor appetite,
and eventually loss of consciousness. Ketoacidosis
should be treated immediately and is usually done
in a hospital. It may require the administration of
intravenous fluids, insulin, and glucose. See also
diabetes mellitus; ketone bodies.
ketogenic diet
A diet devised as a treatment for
severe seizure disorders that do not respond to con-
ventional medication. The traditional ketogenic diet
contains four parts fat to one part protein and car-
bohydrate. All portions must be precisely weighed
and timed. Because this diet can cause the buildup
of ketone bodies in the blood, it is highly risky and
should be tried only under close medical supervi-
sion. See also 
ketone bodies; ketoacidosis; seizure
disorders.
ketone bodies
Acetone, acetoacetate, and B-
hydroxybutyrate—three toxic, acidic chemicals that
build up in the bloodstream when the body is forced
to burn fat for energy instead of burning glucose.
See also 
ketoacidosis.
ketonuria
A condition in which abnormally high
amounts of ketone metabolites are present in the
urine. Ketonuria is usually a sign of diabetes that is
out of control. Ketonuria can also develop as a
result of fasting, dieting, starvation, and eating dis-
orders. See 
ketoacidosis.
KID syndrome
See 
keratitis-ichthyosis-
deafness syndrome.
kidney
One of a pair of organs located in the
right and left side of the abdomen. The kidneys
remove waste products from the blood and produce
urine. As blood flows through the kidneys, the kid-
neys filter waste products, chemicals, and unneeded
water from the blood. Urine collects in the middle
of each kidney, in an area called the renal pelvis. It
then drains from the kidney through a long tube, the
ureter, to the bladder, where it is stored until elimi-
nation. The kidneys also make substances that help
control blood pressure and regulate the formation
of red blood cells.