A 73-year-old, 6 0 0@, 130 kg, white male who is selfemployed as a farmer presented to the hospital with a chief complaint of severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea accompanied by dizziness and diaphoresis occurring since that morning. His family and social history were noncontributory. On examination, the patient appeared comfortable and in no acute distress. The blood pressure was 92/56 mmHg, the pulse 68 beats per minute, the temperature 97.68F, the respiratory rate 18 breaths per minute, and the oxygen saturation 95% on room air. Lung sounds were diminished bilaterally in the bases. The remainder of a 10-point review of systems was negative except for an elevated serum creatinine (1.6, 1.2 mg/dL baseline), BUN (30 mg/dL), and white blood cell count (14.4 K/lL).The patient's initial presentation was consistent with a bacterial or viral gastroenteritis along with acute renal failure secondary to volume depletion. Other factors that predisposed him to gastrointestinal symptoms included longterm immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil as well as uremia.The patient has an extensive medical history that includes relevant disease states. The patient is 5 years post living donor kidney transplant secondary to chronic renal failure from ischemic nephropathy. His course immediately following transplant was complicated by deep venous thromboses in the right femoral and popliteal veins and pulmonary embolism secondary to hypercoagulability disorders including documented elevated anticardiolipin IgM antibody and protein S deficiency in the setting of a normal protein C level. Heparin and warfarin therapy had been initiated at the time of diagnosis. He developed thrombocytopenia and a heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibody test was reported in the record as weakly positive. He was subsequently treated with fondaparinux and warfarin but developed a diverticular bleed within 1 month. Anticoagulation was discontinued and an inferior vena cava filter was placed. The patient then opted against chronic anticoagulation. His current medications at the time of admission include alendronate, allopurinol, aspirin, calcium carbonate, carvedilol, ferrous sulfate, fish oil, furosemide, glipizide, multivitamins, mycophenolate mofetil, pantoprazole, prednisone, tacrolimus, and tamsulosin. His listed allergies include an unknown reaction to atenolol, itching with cephalexin, and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.Upon admission, blood, stool, and urine cultures were obtained and subsequently were negative. FK506 and MMF levels were within normal limits making it unlikely that drug toxicity was causing his symptoms. An unenhanced abdominal CT demonstrated acute diverticulitis and the patient was started on ciprofloxacin and metronidazole for treatment.On the 2nd day of admission, the patient's serum creatinine continued to rise and he became oliguric. He also developed bilateral lower extremity edema, pain, cyanosis, and mottling. Due to his worsening renal function, the patient developed metabolic acidosis and because of this, ...