SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Division of Transplantation
Prevention of Infection
Transplant recipients are at a higher risk of developing an infection, especially within the first three (3) months after transplant when the doses of anti-rejection medications are at their highest. Among the side effects of these medications is a weakening of your body's ability to fight infections.
You are advised to follow the precautions listed below to help prevent infections:
- Avoid contact with people who have colds
- Wash your hands frequently
- Practice good oral hygiene. Rinse your mouth frequently with a good strong mouthwash. Brush and floss your teeth daily.
Notify the Transplant Nurse Practitioner of any of the following:
- You have been exposed to chicken pox, measles, T.B., or other infections
- You develop a heavy white coating on your tongue
- You develop a sudden sore throat or sores in the mouth
- You develop any discharge, itching or burning from your vagina, penis, scrotum, or rectum
- You develop a skin rash
- You develop pain along your back
Signs and Symptoms of Infection Include:
- Fever of over 100 degrees F.
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Dry cough
- Cough which brings up mucus
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- “Burning” sensation on urination