Glossary

bilateral – both sides.

Portacath – a small medical device fitted under the skin that allows injected drugs to have a more direct route to where they are needed.

treat as non-pregnant adult – Treat as non-pregnant adult is a very common phrase in HIV and pregnancy. This means that generally your HIV is treated as if you were not pregnant. There are some exceptions, particularly when you do not need treatment for your own HIV and concerning some of the commonly used HIV drugs.

decimal fraction – a fraction turned into a number by dividing the top part by the bottom part. For example, the decimal fraction for 3/5 is 0.6.

hepatic encephalopathy – brain disease that occurs when serious liver damage prevents toxic substances from being flitered out of the blood, and they enter the brain. See encephalopathy.