How to diagnose ruptured spleen

The spleen is an organ located in the left side of your abdominal cavity, above your stomach and below your rib cage. It fights infection and manages the fluid balance of your body. Disease or injury can cause the spleen to rupture and bleed. Diagnosing a ruptured spleen must be done swiftly and accurately in order to control potentially life-threatening blood loss.

Things You'll Need

• Imaging tests
• Fluid biopsy

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Instructions

• 1

  Report symptoms associated with a spleen injury to your doctor. When the spleen is damaged and in danger of rupturing, you will feel pain and tenderness on the left side your trunk. The pain may extend from below your ribs to your shoulder, states the Merck Manual. You might feel a tightness in your stomach muscles. In extremely serious cases of a ruptured spleen, you may feel dizzy and experience a drop in your blood pressure.

• 2

  Allow your doctor to take a sample of the fluid in your abdominal cavity. If your spleen has ruptured, it will bleed. The fluid sample will show blood and can confirm a diagnosis of a rupture.

• 3

  Undergo imaging testing to diagnose a ruptured spleen. A CT scan or ultrasound of your abdomen will show the condition of the spleen. The technician will be able to see any tears or other injuries and will know if a rupture is in progress.

• 4

  Undergo emergency surgery, if necessary, to diagnose a ruptured spleen. Some people may begin to hemorrhage when their spleen has ruptured, leaving no time for other diagnostic tools. Repairing the damage to stop the bleeding or immediate surgical removal of the spleen could be required.