Clinical observation and nursing care on the prevention of abdominal organ cluster transplantation rejection

Aims and objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics of rejection after upper abdominal cluster transplantation. Background: Abdominal organ cluster transplantation is used to treat multiple abdominal organ diseases. Delay in monitoring and treatment can lead to graft failure. Design: A descriptive study. Methods: Data collected from eight patients who underwent abdominal organ cluster transplantation from May 2004-March 2009 in our hospital were retrospectively assessed. The clinical manifestations of graft rejection and variations in characteristics associated with graft function were analysed. Results: In all eight cases, graft function recovered successfully without rejection during the perioperative period. In one case, liver graft rejection occurred 1·5months postoperatively, but dose adjustment of the anti-rejection drugs provided symptom relief. Conclusions: Rejection can be prevented and cured successfully through monitoring and early detection of rejection characteristics by the nursing staff. Relevance to clinical practice: With the increase of awareness and knowledge on the clinical observation and nursing care, the rate of transplantation rejection decreased among abdominal cluster transplant patients.