Monitoring for Rejection after Transplant
Rejection is your body's normal reaction to any
foreign tissue whether it is a splinter or a transplanted
organ. Your body's response to any foreign object
is to recognize it and destroy it. Immune cells
immediately start fighting this foreign body.
New organ rejection is normal and can occur at
any time after a transplant. Nearly all patients
will experience one or more episodes of rejection
during their recovery period. If left unchecked,
the immune cells can damage a new organ. Most
early cases of rejection are easily treated. Regular
monitoring for rejection -- and prompt medical
attention -- will keep your new organ functioning.
Symptoms of lung rejection include increasing
shortness of breath, decreasing spirometry (the
amount of air moved while inhaling and exhaling),
decreasing oxygen levels during rehabilitation,
fatigue, lethargy and a low-grade fever. Rejection
is usually accompanied by a fall in spirometry,
the breathing studies that test the function of
the lungs. Any symptom should be taken very seriously.
Rejection may be mild or severe.
In most cases, rejection can be controlled if
treated promptly. A biopsy may be required to
make a definitive diagnosis. If you are having
a rejection episode, you may be admitted to the
hospital for treatment, but in many cases can
receive therapy at home.
If you experience any symptoms of rejection,
contact your transplant nurse or physician immediately.
If
you received your organ transplant at the
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
and are experiencing signs of organ rejection,
call the transplant nurse at 215-662-2366
during office hours, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
After 5:00 pm, call the main hospital number,
215-662-4000, and ask for the transplant
clinician on call. |
Reviewed by Robert
Kotloff, MD
Last updated September 2004
|
