CCTC Patient and Family Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A transplant coordinator is educating a liver transplant recipient about tacrolimus. Which statement best describes how the patient should take this medication?
- Take at the same time each day on an empty stomach (Correct answer)
- Take with a high-fat meal to improve absorption
- Double the dose if a dose is missed
- Take only when blood levels are low
Correct answer: Take at the same time each day on an empty stomach
Tacrolimus should be taken consistently at the same time each day, often on an empty stomach, to maintain stable blood levels.
Question 2: When educating a kidney transplant patient about signs of acute rejection, which symptom should prompt immediate contact with the transplant team?
- Mild fatigue after exercise
- Decreased urine output and tenderness over the graft site (Correct answer)
- Slight increase in appetite
- Occasional headaches in the morning
Correct answer: Decreased urine output and tenderness over the graft site
Decreased urine output and graft site tenderness are classic signs of acute kidney rejection requiring immediate evaluation.
Question 3: A family asks why their transplanted relative must avoid raw or undercooked seafood. What is the best explanation?
- Raw seafood causes tacrolimus toxicity
- Immunosuppression increases susceptibility to foodborne pathogens (Correct answer)
- Seafood interferes with anti-rejection lab results
- Raw seafood elevates creatinine levels
Correct answer: Immunosuppression increases susceptibility to foodborne pathogens
Immunosuppressed transplant recipients are at high risk for severe infections from pathogens in raw or undercooked foods.
Question 4: A post-transplant patient asks if they can take ibuprofen for back pain. What is the appropriate coordinator response?
- Ibuprofen is safe as long as it is taken with food
- NSAIDs should be avoided because they can worsen renal function and interact with immunosuppressants (Correct answer)
- Ibuprofen is preferred over acetaminophen in transplant patients
- A double dose of ibuprofen is acceptable for severe pain
Correct answer: NSAIDs should be avoided because they can worsen renal function and interact with immunosuppressants
NSAIDs can cause nephrotoxicity and interact with immunosuppressive agents, making them contraindicated in most transplant recipients.
Question 5: When teaching a heart transplant patient about infection prevention, which activity should be highlighted as highest risk in the early post-transplant period?
- Walking indoors with family
- Attending crowded public events such as concerts (Correct answer)
- Gardening with gloves
- Eating home-cooked meals
Correct answer: Attending crowded public events such as concerts
Crowded public venues expose immunosuppressed patients to numerous airborne and contact pathogens during peak vulnerability.
Question 6: A patient's spouse asks how they can help monitor for transplant complications at home. Which tool is most commonly recommended?
- Daily temperature, blood pressure, and weight log (Correct answer)
- Weekly chest X-ray at an urgent care clinic
- Monthly urine culture collection
- Biweekly echocardiogram at home
Correct answer: Daily temperature, blood pressure, and weight log
Daily vital signs and weight monitoring allows early detection of infection, rejection, and fluid retention at home.
Question 7: During discharge education, a transplant coordinator explains the importance of sun protection. What is the primary reason transplant recipients must limit sun exposure?
- Sun causes immunosuppressant medications to break down
- Chronic immunosuppression significantly increases skin cancer risk (Correct answer)
- UV light worsens graft-versus-host disease
- Sunburn triggers acute rejection episodes
Correct answer: Chronic immunosuppression significantly increases skin cancer risk
Long-term immunosuppression dramatically elevates the risk of skin malignancies, especially squamous cell carcinoma, making sun protection essential.
CCTC Patient and Family Education 2
A transplant coordinator is educating a liver transplant recipient about tacrolimus.
Which statement best describes how the patient should take this medication?