Ten Things Not to Do

Abstract

The purpose of this Guide to the Kidney Care of Transplant Recipients is to provide practical up-to-date information for practitioners who care for transplant recipients. This guide is also helpful for the transplant physician, including physicians in training, who through this guide will obtain an appreciation for the complexities of caring for the transplant recipient outside of the transplant center. While much of this guide focuses on specific medical and surgical topics, we would like to begin with a brief chapter of some of the “takeaway” messages of this guide. These messages rely on the art of medicine, as well as the science, and it is hoped that the reader will indulge us in this pursuit. The following “Ten Things Not to Do” are mostly directed at the community nephrologist and the internist who, although not the primary caregiver at the time of transplant, soon becomes the major caregiver of these patients, often with limited guidelines for assistance.