Immunosuppression following organ transplantation. Part 1: mechanisms and immunosuppressive agents.

Autor: Cajanding R; Staff Nurse, Liver Intensive Therapy Unit, Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) [Br J Nurs] 2018 Sep 06; Vol. 27 (16), pp. 920-927.
DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2018.27.16.920
Abstrakt: Solid organ transplantation has revolutionised medical care by providing a definitive cure for a wide spectrum of end-stage medical conditions. This treatment, however, does not come without complications and poses the risks of rejection, life-threatening infection, malignancies and recurrent organ failure, with significant impacts on patient outcomes. One of the major challenges involved in optimising post-transplant outcomes is managing the immune system's response to the transplanted graft and preventing organ rejection. This is mainly accomplished through the use of immunosuppressant agents, which have become a mainstay of treatment for a majority of post-transplant patients. This article, the first of two parts, discusses the concept of immunosuppression and its importance in the care of patients who have received an organ transplant. It focuses on the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in transplant rejection and discusses the pharmacologic aspects of immunosuppression and its implications for patient care.
Databáze: MEDLINE