Post-treatment and organ rejection
Different medications may be given, based on the preference of the transplant team, to help prevent rejection of the liver. Among the antirejection/immunosuppressive medications your child may be given are:
- Cyclosporine
- Prednisone
- Tacrolimus
Because these drugs have an effect on the immune system, your child will have a greater risk of acquiring an infection such as herpes,oral yeast infections (thrush), and respiratory viruses.
Your child will need to be monitored to try to be sure that efforts to prevent rejection are not making your child overly vulnerable to infection. Blood tests will help determine how much medication is necessary and whether your child is getting too much or too little.
Medications such as antibiotics and antivirals to prevent infections might also be necessary, especially in the first few months following surgery when higher doses of anti-rejection medicines are needed.
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Infection prevention
Handwashing: clean hands save lives
(Content from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.
Seasonal influenza (flu)
(Content from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
CDC continues to urge high risk persons to seek care quickly if they develop flu symptoms; antiviral treatment can avert serious flu outcomes. Ongoing vaccination is recommended for institutional outbreaks, children needing their second dose, and travelers going to the Southern Hemisphere, which will enter its flu season.
More about Seasonal Influenza (Flu)
West nile virus: fight the bite!
(Content from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Since 1999, more than 30,000 people in the United States have been reported as getting sick with West Nile virus. Infected mosquitoes spread West Nile virus (WNV) that can cause serious, life altering disease.
- Updated Fact Sheet
- Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs
- Install or Repair Window and Door Screens
- Support Community-Based Mosquito Control Programs
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Follow-up care
After a transplant, frequent visits to the lab and clinic will be necessary. There, the same team that performed the pre evaluation transplant will continue to monitor your child, assess the function of the transplanted liver, and provide thorough follow-up care. These visits may involve:
- Complete physical examinations
- Blood testing
- Ongoing patient education for you and your child
- Medication monitoring and changes
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Life after a transplant
Each child’s experience will differ and your child can expect to benefit from improvements in the understanding of liver transplantation and the prevention of rejection.
Your child will need specialized monitoring by transplant specialists through life. You are your child’s best advocate and are a most important person in his or her care team. Chief among the important contributions you make to your child’s ongoing well being include:
- Keeping up to date with visits to monitor anti-rejection and anti-infection medications
- Keeping the lines of communication with the transplant team open
- Being alert to and checking on a daily basis for signs and symptoms of rejection and immediately reporting any that arise
- Educating your child as he or she gets older to recognize and report symptoms of rejection and take a more active part in their wellness.
- Making sure that appointments are kept
