A 3-year-old heart transplant patient is experiencing signs of rejection.

Tachycardiaanddecreased urine outputare early clinical signs ofcardiac allograft rejectionin pediatric transplant recipients. Because transplanted hearts aredenervated,tachycardiais often thefirst compensatory responseto decreased cardiac output, while low urine output reflectsend-organ hypoperfusion.

“Rejection may present subtly with signs like persistent tachycardia, fatigue, or poor perfusion. Urine output is a sensitive measure of systemic perfusion.”

(Referenced from CCRN Pediatric – Direct Care: Cardiovascular, Heart Transplant Rejection Indicators)