[Nursing care for patients with kidney transplants during the immediate postoperative period]

Twenty medical records of patients who underwent a renal transplantation were reviewed with the aim of analyzing nursing care during the first 24 hours of the transplantation. The most significant aspects regarding these patients, as well as the most relevant actions undertaken with respect to nursing procedures were also analyzed. It is interesting to note that arterial hypertension is found to be among the leading causes of chronic renal failure. During the immediate postoperative period 5 patients required mechanical ventilation for more than 8 hours. Regarding diuresis surveillance and monitoring, 14 patients presented with an enhanced diuresis, but in 4 the urinary volume was lower than 50 mL/h. The need to treat those patients in an Intensive Care Unit by a highly trained and specialized nursing staff is highlighted.