LaToria Lindsey
Splenic Rupture
Anatomy and Physiology II GE259
Mr. Iannelli,
10-10-2014

A ruptured spleen is a medical emergency that occurs when your spleen develops a break in its surface. Your spleen is located just under your rib cage on your left side by your stomach. It helps your body fight infection and filter old blood cells from your bloodstream. A ruptured spleen is generally caused by a forceful blow to your abdomen. For example, during a sporting accident, a fistfight, or a car crash. Splenic rupture is highest among individuals aged 15 to 35. Without emergency treatment, a ruptured spleen can cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Though some ruptured spleens require emergency surgery, some people with ruptured spleens can be treated with several days in the hospital. Men are slightly more likely to experience spleen injuries than women. Splenic rupture is usually diagnosed by ultrasound of the abdomen. Ultrasounds can detect free fluid due to bleeding and might show damage to the spleen itself. Radiographs of the thorax and abdomen might be performed to exclude other injuries. A physical exam may also be done to diagnose a ruptured spleen. The doctor will feel the person's belly area. The abdominal area will feel hard and will look swollen because of it being filled with blood. Internal bleeding caused by the ruptured spleen can cause blood pressure to drop. This can cause blurred vision, confusion, light-headedness, fainting, restlessness, anxiety, nausea, paleness and signs of shock. A splenic rupture can result in shock and death. In the past, this would routinely be treated with emergency surgery and possible removal of the spleen, but it is becoming more common to monitor the patient to make sure the bleeding stops by itself, and to allow the spleen to heal on its own. Surgical removal of the spleen is known as splenectomy and will be done during an emergency laparotomy in the unstable patient who shows a positive ultrasound scan for a ruptured