What to Watch For

Liver Transplant Patient Signs to Monitor

Are you unsure of when to call your transplant team? Questioning if an issue can wait until the office is open again or if it is an issue that needs to be reviewed by someone on a more urgent basis? We have created a simple guidance document to help you know when to call with questions or concerns.

While you were in the hospital, your doctors and nurses were watching for symptoms of a rejection episode, infection and other problems. Now that you are at home, you need to be a partner in your care and watch for these signs yourself. If you experience any of the following symptoms, or if you "just don't feel right," call the Transplant Institute at 617-632-9700, day or night:

You are short-of-breath or have chest pain
Temperature higher than 100.5 degrees
Flu-like symptoms such as chills, aches, joint pain, headache and increased fatigue
Severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Severe stomach cramps
Increased pain, redness or tenderness over your transplant site that is not relieved by pain medication
Abnormal drainage near or on your incision
Very dark or tea-colored urine
Pain or burning when urinating
Frequent urination
Yellowing of your eyes or skin
A 3-pound weight gain in less than two days
Abnormal blood sugars

Liver Transplant Patient Guidelines

More Reasons to Call

You cannot or did not take your anti-rejection medications
Your drainage tube comes out
You have persistent stomach pain or indigestion
You catch a cold or another illness
Your urine is cloudy, bloody or smells bad
You have been exposed to chicken pox, measles, German measles or mumps, and have never had the disease
You have increased swelling in your hands or feet
A doctor other than your transplant doctor changes a medication or prescribes a new medication
You have sores or blisters in your mouth
You see white spots on your tongue or in your mouth
You want to take an over-the-counter medication
You have symptoms of depression, anxiety or rage
You relapse to alcohol or drug use

Your Responsibilities: Signs and Symptoms

Call the Transplant Institute at 617-632-9700 if you experience any of the symptoms or situations you have been instructed to watch for, do not feel "right," or have any questions related to your transplant, care and recovery.

Please call for urgent issues at any time. But please call for non-urgent issues, such as prescription refills and doctor appointments, during daytime business hours.