Infections in transplant recipient

Transplant recipients are at risk of common infections that the person with normal immunity may develop. For example, they are still at risk of the common cold, chest infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections or gastrointestinal infections. They are also at risk of unusual or atypical infections because of a weakened immune system. 

Common symptoms include fever, cough / breathlessness, rash, changes in mental status, or diarrhea. Having said this, infections can present in an atypical fashion in the transplant recipient. Symptoms may be non-specific, and the only complaint may be lethargy or a sense of feeling poorly. In other instances, transplant recipients may be completely asymptomatic and the only clue might be the abnormal investigation result that their physicians picked up on their routine clinic visit (e.g. abnormal blood counts, deranged kidney function / liver function tests, lung nodule(s) on chest radiograph).