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Going Home with a Spleen Injury

About your injury When you go home

Your spleen is a small organ that is inside your left • For 4 weeks, no heavy activity rib cage. It helps fight infections and makes and stores blood cells. An injury to the belly can cause • For 4 weeks, do not take aspirin, ibuprofen the spleen to bleed. Once in a while, the sharp (Advil or Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). edges of a broken rib may burst open the spleen. • For 3 months, no contact sports (for example, In rare cases, there will be no signs of damage until football or hockey) sometime later, within two weeks. • For 3 months, do not drive or ride in ATVs, Sometimes the spleen will heal without treatment. snowmobiles, motorcycles, jet skis or bicycles. In that case, we just watch for symptoms. • Do not drink alcohol or drive until you stop your Other times, we need to stop the bleeding from the pain medicines. inside. The doctor places a long thin tube (catheter) into the bleeding vessel. Then tiny bits of material • Do not take herbal supplements until you talk to are placed into the blood vessel to help form a clot. your doctor (vitamins are okay).

If we cannot stop the bleeding, we may need to remove the spleen.

spleen

For informational purposes only. Not to replace the advice of your health care provider. Image adapted from copyright © 1989, Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Copyright © 2013 Fairview Health Services in collaboration with University of Minnesota Physicians. All rights reserved. SMARTworks 521422 – 06/13. Page 2 of 2

Follow-up If you have any questions, call

Be sure to go to your follow up visit if one is needed. Our nurse: 612-624-0665 You may need to have a blood test in the lab before (during office hours) you see the doctor. The hospital: 612-273-3000 (after hours, ask for the provider on call Staff will call to set up your next visit. for trauma)

Return to the emergency department if you notice:

• Fever over 101.5°F (38.6°C)

• Severe belly pain

• Feeling dizzy or faint

• Very fast or irregular heart beat

• Constant nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) or vomiting (throwing up)

• Heavy sweating

• Hiccups that do not stop.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, please let us know. We provide many free services including sign language interpreters, oral interpreters, TTYs, telephone amplifiers, note takers and written materials.