Relationship between pretransplant noncompliance and posttransplant outcomes in renal transplant recipients

Approximately 5% to 18% of kidney transplant recipients do not comply with their posttransplant medical treatment. This study examined the relationship between pretransplant noncompliance and posttransplant outcomes. Using a longitudinal retrospective chart audit, pretransplant and posttransplant data were collected for 126 kidney transplant recipients over a 3-year period. Sixty-one percent of those identified as noncompliant before transplant lost their graft or died after transplant. Significant relationships between pretransplant noncompliance and graft loss and between pre- and posttransplant noncompliance were found. Clinicians must identify those with pretransplant noncompliance, as they are at risk for poor outcomes and might benefit from an intensive posttransplant follow-up regimen.