Watching for infection

The medications you take to prevent rejection work by slowing down your body's immune system. While they protect your transplant from rejection, they also lower your body's ability to fight infections.

To help lower the risk for infection, you may be prescribed preventive medications. Because your risk for infection will go down over time, your transplant team may decide to lower the amount or dose of preventive medications that you require.

Here are some things you can do to help further reduce your risk of infection:

• Scrub your hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom or touching animals
• Keep fingernails short and always use clean nail clippers
• Wear gloves when gardening to avoid bacteria in plants and soil
• Practice good oral hygiene to prevent mouth sores
• Avoid raw or partially cooked foods and unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Avoid take-out and deli foods (foods sitting at room temperature can develop bacteria)
• Notify a member of your transplant team if you have been around anyone with a contagious illness (flu, chicken pox, etc.) or anyone who recently received a live vaccine, such as the polio vaccine
• Avoid changing diapers and cleaning pet litter

Infections can become very serious and can even lead to death if left untreated. Contact your transplant team right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever over 100°F (38°C)
• Flu-like symptoms such as chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, headache, dizziness, or body aches and pains
• Coughing up yellow or green mucus
• A dry cough that lasts for more than one week
• Severe diarrhea
• A burning feeling when you urinate
• Vaginal discharge or itching
• A wound that oozes fluid, does not heal, or feels warm
• Swelling, warmth, redness, pain, or tenderness of an arm or leg

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