Kidney transplant patients are considered to have low resistance to general infections because they use immunosuppressive drugs. The first 6 months after transplantation is the period when their immunity is weakest due to the effects of the treatments administered during the transplantation. During this period, viruses that are dormant in their body, such as cytomegalovirus, can come to life and cause infection, while they are vulnerable to bacterial infections that cause pneumonia, such as pneumocystis carinia, which are not common in healthy people. Again, a virus called polyoma, which is dormant in the urinary system in our body and revives in patients who use more intense immunosuppressive drugs, can cause infection in the transplanted kidney and lead to kidney loss.
In the first 3-6 months after the transplant, patients are infected with fungi, Protective/suppressive antibiotics, antiviral and antifungal agents are given against cytomegatovirus and pneumocystis carini infections. During this period, care should be taken to ensure maximum personal hygiene, and if it is a period when infections are common in your environment (for example, flu), personal isolation should be given importance.
It is important to receive flu vaccinations regularly before and after transplantation, and to administer the pneumonia vaccine in consultation with your doctor. It is not recommended to administer live vaccines to transplant patients.
Infections generally seen after the first year after transplantation are similar to infections seen in healthy people.
Fever is the most important sign of infection. When a transplant patient has a fever, he should not ignore it and should apply to the nearest health center. Due to the effects of the drugs used on the immune system, a simple infection can cause an unexpectedly more severe condition.
Kidney transplantation and Corona infection
The Corona virus (covid 19), which is currently on the agenda, settles in the respiratory tract and requires approximately 5% of the healthy population to be admitted to intensive care. It causes serious lung infection, resulting in 2 deaths. Patients who develop severe respiratory failure during corona infection are connected to a ventilator. Additional bacterial infections may also develop in the lung during this procedure.
Corona virus spreads through droplets spread by coughing and sneezing. It tastes. Since it is a heavy virus, it easily sticks to surfaces and can be transmitted to our hands from surfaces we touch, such as door handles and light switches. For this reason, care should be taken not to touch the face and eyes as much as possible, he said.
Corona can be transmitted by direct inhalation of droplets spread from a sick person or after contact with hands on surfaces to which viruses spread from droplets adhere. It is transmitted by touching the mouth, nose or eye mucosa with hands.
There is no data indicating that the coronavirus will be more severe in transplant patients. However, based on our experience with other infections, it should be emphasized that the transplant patient should take maximum precautions and protective measures against coronavirus.
What precautions can we take to protect ourselves from coronavirus?
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The patient and the individuals at home should pay attention to hand hygiene
Washing your hands upon entering the house, after every cough and sneeze, before and at the end of meal preparation, after contact with a pet, before eating.
If your hands are washed with soap for 40 seconds, if an alcohol-containing disinfectant is used. Applying a cleaning period of 20 seconds with at least 60% alcohol.
Cleaning objects such as phones that have been used outside with alcohol-containing disinfectant.
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Maximum compatibility with home insulation.
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Compliance with the 2-meter rule in social contact,
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Not being in the same environment with people associated with outside, removing clothes worn outside when entering the house, not bringing your hands and Washing both hands and arms up to the elbow, using hand antiseptic
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Avoiding group meetings in closed environments, avoiding social meetings such as home visits, giving up greeting habits such as shaking hands and hugging
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People with the possibility of the disease should definitely wear a mask and not share the same environment with the patient, and if possible, separate the toilet.
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Even healthy people should avoid coughing and sneezing. Using wipes while eating
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Healthy diet - consumption of fruits, vegetables and proteins, ready-made food Avoiding dirty foods
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Fruit-like foods to be eaten directly should be washed with vinegar water, and foods that cannot be washed should be kept for 6 hours before consuming.
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Consulting with your doctor, taking vitamin C, zinc, selenium, vitamin D supplements and using probiotics will increase your immunity against the virus.
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