Intensive Care of the Child After Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

A multidisciplinary team including pediatric transplant surgeons or urologists, pediatric nephrologists, and specialized nurses is needed to provide optimal care after a renal transplant. Perioperative clinical and surgical complications requiring particularly close follow-up include fluid and electrolyte management, blood pressure control, and graft function surveillance. Timely imaging is required in the first postoperative day, using Doppler ultrasound to evaluate for compromised graft blood flow. Immunosuppressive therapy is key to graft survival and is optimized in the initial perioperative period.