No abstract

No official document has been published for primary care physicians regarding the management of liver transplant patients. With no official source of reference, primary care physicians often question their care of these patients. The following guidelines have been approved by the American Society of Transplantation and represent the position of the association. The data presented are based on formal review and analysis of published literature in the field and the clinical experience of the authors. These guidelines address drug interactions and side effects of immunosuppressive agents, allograft dysfunction, renal dysfunction, metabolic disorders, preventive medicine, malignancies, disability and productivity in the workforce, issues specific to pregnancy and sexual function, and pediatric patient concerns. These guidelines are intended to provide a bridge between transplant centers and primary care physicians in the long-term management of the liver transplant patient.

No abstract

Education after a liver transplant can be an overwhelming experience for transplant recipients. Clinical nurse specialist graduate students with the assistance of the liver transplant clinical nurse specialist at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center developed a multidisciplinary tool for documenting posttransplant education. By creating 1 central document in which all disciplines provide evidence of posttransplant education, all members of the healthcare team are afforded an efficient system for tracking progress in patients' education and for eliminating duplicative teaching.