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 1·5 months 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.