Published online: 2021-08-04 BRIEF REPORT Instructions for kidney recipients and donors (In English for medical providers and in Arabic for patients and donors) Ziad Arabi, Basmeh Ghalib, Ibrahim Asmari, Mohammed Gafar, Syed Alam, Mohamad Abdulgadir, Ala AlShareef, Awatif Rashidi, Mohammed Alruwaymi, Abdulrahman Altheaby Adult Transplant Nephrology, The Organ Transplant Center at King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Access this article online Website: www.avicennajmed.com ABSTRACT DOI: 10.4103/ajm.ajm_120_19 Quick Response Code: Medical providers are often asked by their kidney recipients and donors about what to do or to avoid. Common questions include medications, diet, isolation, return to work or school, pregnancy, fasting Ramadan, or hajj and Omrah. However, there is only scant information about these in English language and none in Arabic. Here, we present evidence-based education materials for medical providers (in English language) and for patients and donors (in Arabic language). These educational materials are prepared to be easy to print or adopt by patients, providers, and centers. Key words: Arabic, education, instructions, kidney donors, kidney recipients, lifestyle, Muslim INSTRUCTIONS FOR KIDNEY GRAFT RECIPIENTS - These medications include valganciclovir (Valgan), (PROVIDERS’ INFORMATION) nystatin, and Bactrim.[1,2] 2. Medication side effects: 1. Medications: Tacrolimus (Prograf or FK) may cause diabetes, • Immunosuppression medications: hypertension, alopecia, tremor, and renal insufficiency. - These medications are to protect against rejection MMF (CellCept) may cause low white blood count. of the transplanted kidney. Prednisolone may cause high blood sugar.[1-3] - These medications include tacrolimus (Prograf or 3. Clinic follow-up and laboratory testing: FK) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (CellCept) - You need to keep your appointments for clinic visits and prednisolone. and laboratory testing. - These medications are to be maintained for the life - Do not take tacrolimus (Prograf or FK) in the morning of the graft. of your labs but take it right away after the blood draw. - Stopping these medications will lead to rejection - Remember to have an appointment for the stent and possibly loss of the graft. removal, which is typically removed by urologist in - These medications must be taken at the exact time prescribed by your doctor. • Prophylactic antimicrobial medications: This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of - These medications are to decrease the risk the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, of opportunistic viral, bacterial, and fungal as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under infections. the identical terms. For reprints contact: [email protected] Address for correspondence: Dr. Ziad Arabi, Cite this article as: Arabi Z, Ghalib B, Asmari I, Gafar M, Alam S, Adult Transplant Nephrology, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City (KAMC), Abdulgadir M, et al. Instructions for kidney recipients and donors (In English Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. for medical providers and in Arabic for patients and donors). Avicenna J Med 2020;10:41-53. E-mail: [email protected] © 2020 Avicenna Journal of Medicine | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 41 Arabi, et al.: Instructions for kidney recipients and donors 1–2 months after transplant. Stent removal does not not necessary as it can lead to social isolation and require overnight stay nor general anesthesia. depression.[1,15-19] - Remember that staples are typically removed 3 weeks 9. Fasting during Ramadan: Fasting Ramadan does not after the surgery. adversely affect kidney function as shown by several 4. Potential complications of renal transplant include small studies. In these conditions, fasting might be rejection, infections, internal urine leak from ureter, allowed after the first 1–2 years. Special care might be renal artery stenosis, ureteric stricture, diabetes, tremor, given to the timing of medications and drug levels. You recurrence of the original disease, bone disease, or may try initially to fast every other day then advance as cancer such as lymphoma. tolerated. You must break your fast if you feel exhausted 5. Diet: Renal transplant recipients frequently encounter or dehydrated. You must consult with your nephrologist significant weight gain after transplantation. To prevent before attempting to fast.[1,20-35] gaining weight after transplantation, you are strongly 10. Fasting of renal transplant patients with diabetes: In advised to balance the calorie intake with especial addition to the previously mentioned precautions, attention to the amount of carbohydrates consumed. patients with diabetes on medications or insulin need to You are advised also to drink enough fluid (2–3 L/ adjust their medications or insulin requirement, monitor day) but excessive fluid intake is not needed.[1,4-13] their blood sugar closely, and never miss Suhour. Patients Low salt diet is advised in most of the patients. must consult with their provider before attempting to Magnesium- and phosphorous-rich diet are often fast. Fasting by patients with renal transplant having type recommended. Potassium restriction is not required 1 diabetes mellitus is trickier and requires consultation in most of the patients. from endocrinologist.[1,36-41] Examples of magnesium-rich food: dark leafy greens, 11. Omrah: Owing to the risk of upper respiratory infection seeds, beans, fish, whole grains, nuts, dark chocolate, (URI), it is recommended to postpone Omrah for at yogurt, and bananas. least 6–12 months after renal transplant. Omrah during Examples of phosphorous-rich food: protein-rich foods peak hours is not recommended. Extra precautions such as meats, poultry, fish, nuts, beans, and dairy should be taken against airborne and foodborne [1,42-46] products. Some bottled beverages may also have high infections. content of phosphate additives. 12. Hajj: Owing to the very high risk of URI, it is Examples of potassium-rich food: leafy greens, potato, recommended to perform hajj before renal transplant. dates, banana, tomato, orange juice, and cardamom. For those who have never performed the obligatory 6. Exercise and sports: hajj, it is recommended to delay hajj at least 1-year - Exercise is associated with improved quality of life posttransplant. Patients are to weigh their potential and patients are encouraged to follow regular exercise risks. Frail or elderly on immunosuppressants might be program.[14] excused from hajj.[1,43-47] - Walking is encouraged in the immediate postsurgical 13. Marital relations: In 2–3 months after transplant, most period. of the patients can resume marital relations once the - Noncompetitive sports (such as cycling and jogging) surgical incision is healed and the urinary stent is can be resumed once the surgical pain resolves (after removed.[1] 1–2 months). 14. Fertility in male renal transplant recipients: Fertility - Competitive sports (such as boxing and karate) should improves after kidney transplantation in many patients. be avoided because of risk of direct trauma to the Certain medications should be avoided. For example, kidney. sirolimus (Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) - Driving can be resumed once the surgical pain inhibitors) can affect sperm genesis and fertility. Patients resolves (after 1–2 months). are advised to consult with their doctor.[1,47-53] 7. Work/school: Most of the renal transplant recipients 15. Pregnancy after kidney transplant: will be able to go back to school/work in 2–3 months. - Women of childbearing age should be alerted that Strenuous activity and exposure to the hot weather fertility may improve after kidney transplantation. should be avoided.[1,15-19] - Oral contraceptive pills can be used as a contraceptive 8. Isolation: You should avoid contact with sick. You method after an appropriate medical consultation. should wash hands frequently and not share personal - The intrauterine devices are generally discouraged items with family. You are also advised to avoid crowded because of increased risk of infection with area; however, strict isolation in a single room is usually immunosuppressants. 42 Avicenna Journal of Medicine / Volume 10 / Issue 1 / January-March 2020 Arabi, et al.: Instructions for kidney recipients and donors - Pregnancy after renal transplant can negatively affect 2. Donors should avoid heavy lifting. both the transplanted kidney and the fetus (low birth 3. Sport: weight and preterm delivery). - Walking is encouraged immediately after surgery. - Women should wait for at least 1–2 years before - Noncompetitive sports (walking and cycling) can attempting pregnancy, renal function must be stable be resumed once the surgical pain resolves (after and without significant proteinuria nor a recent 1–2 months). rejection. - Competitive sports such as boxing and karate should - Many posttransplant women who already have be avoided. children before transplant may prefer not to have - Please consult with your surgeon for further any further children over risking the fetus and the instructions. transplanted kidney. 4. Driving can be resumed once the surgical pain resolves - Pregnant transplant recipient should be followed up (after 1–2 months). by obstetrician experienced in high-risk pregnancies.