Caring for renal transplant patients

Renal transplantation improves quantity and quality of life compared with chronic dialysis. A UK general practice with 8000 patients will have around four patients with a functioning renal transplant, one patient on the transplant waiting list, and several under consideration for transplantation. Many medical problems in renal transplant recipients will be managed by non-specialist clinicians, and this article provides advice for the non-specialist on managing renal transplant patients. In this podcast, Tom Nieto, and Paul Cockwell from the Renal Services unit in the, College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, join us to discuss how non-specialists can spot problems early, and when it’s appropriate to talk about the potential for transplantation. Read their full clinical update: http://www.bmj.com/content/355/bmj.i6158