Renal Case #2

case continues:
  • A 40 year old black man with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis for 6 years receives a cadaveric kidney transplant.
  • Post-transplant, he has some problems with rejection, requiring large doses of steroids for control.
  • He is discharged from the hospital 3 weeks after transplantation with a serum creatinine of 2.6 mg/dL.
  • His discharge medications include cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), azathioprine (Imuran), prednisone, furosemide (Lasix), amlodipine (Norvasc), and acyclovir.
  • His BP is 140/86 and his weight is 75 kg.
  • Post-transplant care occurs smoothly for several months, except that you notice that he is gaining weight.
  • Four months after transplantation, his weight is 90 kg, his BP is 160/96, he has 2+ peripheral edema, his serum creatinine is 3.0 mg/dL, and his fasting serum glucose is 210 mg/dL. In addition, he has developed an upper respiratory infection with a dry cough and fever.

Later that same year, this patient's gout flares. He is seen in the emergency department and is given colchicine, allopurinol (Zyloprim, Purinol), and ibuprofen. One week later, he comes to see you for his routine followup. At that time, his BP has risen to 180/100 mm Hg, his serum creatinine has risen to 4.3 mg/dL and his WBC count has fallen to 1300.

What has happened? How did drugs contribute to the problem? What could have been done to avoid this problem?