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Glossary

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c
calories
measurement of the amount of energy a person can get from certain food sources
carrier
person who has a virus in his/her system but who may not necessarily have symptoms or show signs of illness. This person can, however, pass the virus on to other people and make them sick.
CAT scan
computerized axial tomography; a special kind of x-ray for looking at the soft organs in the body, such as the liver
CD4+
immune cell in the blood that is targeted by HIV and used to measure HIV's effect on a person's immune system
Chalk lung
a condition in which the lungs become scarred and cannot provide as much oxygen to the rest of the body as they should; can be caused when pills containing talc are cooked and injected
Child-Pugh score
a scoring system used to grade liver disease, mainly cirrhosis.
cholesterol
type of fat used in certain cell structures that is processed by the liver. Abnormally high levels in the blood can lead to health concerns, like heart conditions.
chronic
long-term infection. Once a person has hepatitis C for more than six months it is called chronic hepatitis C.
cirrhosis
condition in which large amounts of scar tissue replace normal liver tissue and reduces the liver function and blood flow to the liver
clinical trial
scientifically controlled study done with human subjects to investigate the effectiveness, safety and ideal dosage of a new drug or treatment
clotting
coagulation; to change from fluid or liquid into a thick mass, as in when blood coagulates
clotting factor
essential part of the blood that is responsible for clotting
clotting factor concentrates
blood products that contain large amounts of the substances in the blood that allow it to clot
co-infection
condition in which a person is living with two different viruses at the same time, like HIV and the hepatitis C virus, or hepatitis C and hepatitis B
colour therapy
using colour to change a person's mood, emotions, or feelings and to encourage healing and wellness
combination therapy
using two or more medications at the same time to treat a medical condition. For hepatitis C, combination therapy with peg-interferon and ribavirin is now the standard treatment.
compensated cirrhosis
liver disease in which the liver is damaged to the point where it is cirrhotic but still functioning normally
compensation
government program to provide money to people who were infected by HIV or Hep C from tainted blood or blood products
complementary and alternative medicine
medical practices that fall outside of conventional Western medicine
complete blood count
most commonly performed blood test; used to measure blood components included red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. In Hep C, low platelets can help to detect if something is damaging the liver. All of these measures can fall while on HCV drug treatment.
condom
thin layer of latex or polyurethane worn over the penis (male condom) or inside the vagina (female condom) during sex to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections
confidential
guarantee that information will be kept private and not provided to unauthorised people, especially with regards to people's medical information
consent
to consent means to give permission for something to happen
contraindication
situation where a drug or treatment should not be used, or poses significant risk.
Cotton fever
a condition in which a person feels intense flu-like symptoms after injecting; can be caused by something a drug is cut with or by bacteria on filters getting into the water and then getting injected
CPP
Canada Pension Plan; monthly income for people who have paid into CPP through job earnings and have then retired. CPP also has a disability program for people who can no longer work due to illness or injury.