Evaluation and Preparation for Transplant Flashcards
7 cards from real CCTC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Evaluation and Preparation for Transplant flashcards as text
Which test is used to definitively confirm brain death in a potential deceased organ donor when clinical criteria alone are insufficient?
Answer: Cerebral blood flow study (nuclear scan or CTA)
Cerebral blood flow studies (e.g., radionuclide scan or CT angiography) confirm absence of intracranial circulation, serving as an ancillary test when full brain death exam cannot be completed.
A transplant coordinator is informed that a liver transplant candidate has developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). How should this affect waitlist management?
Answer: Continue workup; SBP history warrants MELD exception consideration and prophylactic antibiotics post-transplant
SBP is a marker of advanced liver disease and may qualify for MELD exception points; patients require prophylactic antibiotics and active monitoring while listed.
When obtaining informed consent for transplant listing, which element must be clearly communicated to the candidate and their family?
Answer: The risks, benefits, alternatives, waitlist process, and possibility of not receiving a transplant
Informed consent for transplant listing must cover surgical risks, expected benefits, alternatives (including dialysis or medical management), organ allocation processes, and uncertainty of organ availability.
Which scoring tool is routinely used by transplant coordinators to assess a patient's functional status as part of the pretransplant evaluation?
Answer: Karnofsky Performance Status or 6-Minute Walk Test
Karnofsky Performance Status and the 6-Minute Walk Test quantify functional capacity and predict post-transplant rehabilitation potential and outcomes.
A kidney transplant candidate has a history of oxalate nephropathy leading to ESRD. What additional organ transplant should be considered during evaluation?
Answer: Combined liver-kidney transplant, as the liver is the primary source of oxalate overproduction in primary hyperoxaluria
In primary hyperoxaluria, the metabolic defect is in the liver; combined liver-kidney transplant corrects the enzymatic defect and replaces the damaged kidney.
Which pretransplant screening test is required by UNOS policy for all organ transplant candidates to protect recipients and guide post-transplant management?
Answer: Infectious disease serology including HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, CMV, and EBV
UNOS policy mandates infectious disease serologies to identify donor-recipient matching risks, guide prophylaxis, and prevent transmission of HIV, hepatitis, CMV, and EBV.
A patient being considered for kidney transplant has a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) but no active TB symptoms. What is the appropriate management?
Answer: Treat with prophylactic isoniazid (INH) pre- or post-transplant per infectious disease guidance before proceeding
Latent TB reactivates under immunosuppression, so prophylactic INH treatment is indicated and should be coordinated with infectious disease specialists prior to or shortly after transplant.