Here, medical management is provided jointly by the transplant staff and the ICU medical staff. After the patient is stabilized, he or she is transferred to the transplant unit, or in the case of pediatric patients, to the appropriate Children's Hospital ward. In both settings, patients receive specialized posttransplant care by the medical and nursing staff. Immunosuppression and prophylactic antibiotic therapy are administered according to established protocols and adjusted to the patient's medical status. A primary nurse assigned to each patient enhances continuity of medical care and psychosocial support, provides additional patient teaching, and coordinates discharge planning.
Discharge planning includes daily group education classes and individual instruction.
Patients who live far away may be required to stay in the Madison area for several weeks, depending on factors such as prior hospital course, stability of immunosuppressive dosages, and the need for additional care. Posttransplant follow-up testing is performed on a regular basis at a local hospital or clinical laboratory, with the results reported to the transplant office. In addition, patients must be seen regularly at the UW Transplant Clinic, to monitor their condition and make adjustments to their immunosuppressive regimen. Transplant patients must make a lifetime commitment to ensure continued graft function and their own long-term survival. They are followed throughout their lives by a team consisting of transplant surgeons, physicians, and coordinators, as well as local physicians.