ORGAN Flashcards
What is organ transplant?
The process of surgically removing an organ or tissue from one person (donor) and placing it into another person (recipient)
Why is organ transplantation necessary?
Because the recipient’s organ has failed or has been damaged by disease or injury
What is the current issue with organ donation?
The need for organ donors is much greater than the number of people who actually donate
What types of donors exist?
Living, brain dead, or dead via circulatory death
How long can most tissues be preserved and stored?
Up to five years
Which organs and tissues can be transplanted?
Liver, Kidney, Pancreas, Heart, Lung, Intestine, Corneas, Middle ear, Skin, Bone, Bone marrow, Heart valves, Connective tissue
What is a vascularized composite allograft?
Transplant of several structures that may include skin, uterus, bone, muscles, blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue
What is transplant rejection?
The body’s immune response to the transplanted organ, possibly leading to transplant failure
What is an autograft?
Transplant of tissue to the same person
What is an allograft?
A transplant of an organ or tissue between two genetically non-identical members of the same species
What is an isograft?
A subset of allograft where organs or tissues are transplanted from a donor to a genetically identical recipient
What is a xenograft?
A transplant of organs or tissue from one species to another
What is a domino transplant?
A procedure where both lungs are replaced and the recipient’s original heart is transplanted into a second recipient
What is ABO-incompatible transplantation?
Transplantation possible for very young children due to underdeveloped immune systems
What causes graft rejection?
The recipient’s immune system attacks the donated graft due to recognition of foreign HLA proteins
What is hyperacute rejection?
Rejection that occurs within minutes to hours due to pre-existing antibodies in the recipient
What is acute rejection?
Rejection that occurs within weeks to months, arising from immunological mechanisms
What is chronic rejection?
Rejection leading to graft destruction over months or years, often related to prior acute rejection episodes
What is a common reason for transplant rejection?
Non-adherence to prescribed immunosuppressant regimens
What are the main signs for diagnosing acute rejection?
Patient signs and symptoms, laboratory data, and MRI of immune cells
What is ABO blood group compatibility?
The first test to check if the donor and recipient have compatible blood groups
What is a serum crossmatch?
A blood test performed to detect antibodies against the donor’s cells
What is tissue typing?
Determining the tissue (HLA) type of the patient and potential donor for compatibility
What is the Percent Reactive Antibody test (PRA)?
A test for reactive antibodies against a random panel of cells to assess sensitization
What is immunosuppressive therapy?
Treatment to prevent rejection, including high-dose corticosteroids and triple therapy
What is the risk of a bone marrow transplant?
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where donor lymphocytes attack the recipient’s tissues
True or False: Chronic rejection is usually reversible.
False
