Care of the renal transplant recipient: A field guide for the generalist

Abstract 

More than 60,000 kidney transplant recipients currently live in the United States. It is not uncommon for these persons to receive medical care through a primary care physician. The widely held belief that only physicians and surgeons with ‘special knowledge’ can care for these patients is clearly not the case. In addition to considering the immediate posttransplantation problems, this section attempts to demystify the care of kidney transplant recipients beyond the first few months of recovery after surgery. It also serves as a guide to help determine which problems can be handled by a primary care physician and which indicate referral back to the transplant center. Common infectious problems, both bacterial and viral, are discussed. This section also considers metabolic abnormalities such as hypertension, increased lipids, gout, calcium/bone diseases, and hematologic issues. Common conditions that cause real or perceived decreases in function but are not related to graft rejection are also explained.

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.