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Lower respiratory tract infections are the most common complications in kidney transplant patients in the first six months and they are associated with high mortality. Other complications include pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, and pulmonary hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary complications in kidney transplant patients by using chest radiography.
We analyzed a total of 516 chest X-rays of 150 patients who received a kidney transplant in 2014. Chest radiographs were performed in the preoperative and in the postoperative assessments, as well as within the next 48 hours after the surgery, and from 3 to 7, 8-15, 16-30, 31-90, 91-180 and 180 days. For the radiographic study of the lung parenchyma, chest was divided into four quadrants by assigning a value of 1 to each radiographic pattern: reticular, nodular alveolar occupation; lobar or segmental; atelectasis; and ground-glass. Lung parenchyma obtained a minimum value of 0 and a maximum value of 16 points. Also, we assessed variables such as gender, age, associated comorbidity, and type of renal transplantation.
We obtained data from a total of 150 patients; 19 patients had pulmonary complications in the first 24 to 48 hours and 15 patients between 90 and 180 days after the kidney transplantation. The most frequent complications were acute pulmonary edema in early stage and infections in late stage.
The prevalence of complications diagnosed by chest radiograph was low and it was observed more often in early and late stages.