CCTC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CCTC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which organ is typically procured LAST during a multi-organ procurement surgery to allow maximal perfusion time for other organs? → Kidneys
2. Which of the following are signs and symptoms of intestinal rejection? → Intermittent low-grade fever and high stoma output
3. Machine perfusion of kidneys offers which primary advantage over static cold storage? → Allows continuous viability assessment and active removal of ischemic byproducts
4. Which blood type is considered the universal recipient? → Blood Type AB
5. Which imaging study is most commonly used to evaluate living donor kidney anatomy prior to nephrectomy? → CT angiography of the abdomen and pelvis
6. Standard post-transplant prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) protects against which two pathogens simultaneously? → PJP and Toxoplasma gondii
7. When assessing a living liver donor, which remnant liver volume is generally considered the minimum safe threshold for the donor? → 30% of total liver volume
8. A waitlisted thoracic candidate asks about living donor options. Which transplant type has an established living-donor protocol? → Living-donor lobar lung transplant
9. When assessing medication adherence in a long-term transplant recipient, the MOST reliable indicator of non-adherence is: → Intra-patient variability in tacrolimus trough levels
10. Cold ischemia time (CIT) is measured from which point to which point? → Aortic cross-clamp and cold flush in the donor to reperfusion in the recipient
11. In the immediate postoperative period, which immunosuppressive agent is most commonly associated with nephrotoxicity? → Calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus/cyclosporine)
12. What is the recommended minimum age for a living organ donor in the United States per OPTN policy? → 18 years of age
13. What is the primary purpose of maintaining a strict fluid balance record in the immediate post-transplant period? → To guide fluid resuscitation and detect third-spacing or hemorrhage
14. Which criterion is considered an absolute contraindication to living kidney donation regardless of other factors? → HIV-positive status without viral suppression
15. A pediatric kidney candidate has been waiting 3 years. Under KAS, which priority does this candidate receive against adult candidates? → Pediatric candidates receive priority over adult candidates for pediatric donor kidneys
16. What should be facilitated as part of waitlist management? → Maintaining listing status per OPTN policies
17. A kidney transplant recipient develops BK virus nephropathy confirmed on biopsy. What is the recommended management approach? → Reduce overall immunosuppression, particularly the antimetabolite
18. Nicotine use is most critically addressed in pre-transplant evaluation for which organ recipient population? → Lung and heart transplant recipients
19. During evaluation of a potential living kidney donor, which finding would most likely disqualify donation? → GFR of 55 mL/min/1.73m²
20. A coordinator learns that a recipient's family has offered a financial gift to the donor family after transplant. What is the appropriate response? → Report the arrangement to the OPO, as it may constitute illegal valuable consideration
21. A liver transplant recipient is being counseled about CMV infection. Which patient profile is at highest risk for CMV disease post-transplant? → CMV-negative recipient receiving an organ from a CMV-positive donor
22. The donor-recipient CMV serostatus combination associated with the HIGHEST risk of CMV disease post-transplant is: → Donor positive / Recipient negative (D+/R−)
23. CMS requires transplant centers to have a written patient selection process that is: → Non-discriminatory and consistently applied to all candidates
24. A living donor candidate discloses she is in a financial relationship where the recipient's family is paying her rent. What is the appropriate next step? → Report the arrangement to the ethics committee and conduct further assessment for coercion
25. Which post-transplant psychosocial issue is MOST associated with late acute rejection episodes? → Immunosuppression medication non-adherence
26. Which principle underlies the prohibition on paying donors for organs in the United States? → Justice, to prevent exploitation of economically vulnerable populations
27. What does the term 'cold ischemia time' refer to in organ transplantation? → Time from organ cooling/preservation to reperfusion in the recipient
28. Which validated tool is MOST commonly used to screen transplant candidates for alcohol use disorder? → AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test)
29. What is the target mean arterial pressure (MAP) goal typically maintained in the immediate post-transplant ICU period? → Above 65 mmHg
30. A deceased donor is found to have mild coronary artery disease on angiography. Under which circumstance might the heart still be considered for transplantation? → If recipient is Status 1A with no other available donors