Talk:Spleen

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If it were true, we might. I'm guessing you are referring to the use of prophylactic antibiotics, and their use is not advised except in certain circumstances, and certainly not in most places for most people. There's information on this at asplenia; there could be more information added at splenectomy. - Nunh-huh 23:26, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Wouldn't you classify pneumococcal vaccination as medication? JFW | T@lk 10:15, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Not according to our own definition: A medication is a licenced drug or substance taken to reduce symptoms or cure an illness or medical condition. Anyway, these topics are covered adequately in asplenia, but it wouldn't hurt to make readers of this article more aware that they should go there. --Coneslayer (who's short a spleen)
re comment above on antibiotics "not in most places", UK guidelines (Haematology Working Group report published in the BMJ) are that all patients undergoing a splenectomy/autosplenectomy receive antibiotics for at least 2 years or until aged 16 (http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/312/7028/430 in 1996 and its 2001 update http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/312/7028/430#12088). Indeed some advocate lifelong antibiotics or at least home supply to take at onset any URT/LRT/fever illness, but many patients defer starting such courses (see http://jcp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/54/3/214). In practice of course antibiotics/vaccinations are poorly implemented although guidelines worldwide seem to now be fairly similar. Would adding these references to asplenia, spleen or splenectomy be helpful ? -- David Ruben 10:13, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Question - My husband was told that his spleen was enlarged and he could die from it if he were in a car accident, or fell. He is currently in the hospital for pneumonia, but the Dr. wants to treat the problem of the enlarged spleen as an out patient. My Question: It would seem that staying in the hospital would be the better choice to monitor him, vs. discharging him? Especially since he is already there? Will the Dr. give him medication? For how long? Is there a reason why it got enlarged? I appreciate your help. Thank you.

Contents

[edit] Spleen pH

Because RBCs are still metabolizing while in the red pulp (the majority of the plasma has been removed), acid byproducts build up, causing a drop in the pH of the environment. Does anyone know what the pH of the spleen is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.90.113.62 (talk) 23:27, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] pain in spleen area?

You've given about as little information as possible. The spleen has no pain innervation, although some think that contraction of the smooth muscle may explain the pain felt when exercising on a full stomach. If the pain is continuous or occurs at rest then think left lower lobe of lung, pancreas, stomach, colon. JFW | T@lk 20:27, 10 July 2005 (UTC)

Could someone please clarify an issue, please?

I'm spleenless and I'm also about to turn 21. I heard from a friend that i couldn't drink alcohol because of the lack of a spleen. Is this true?

Perhaps someone should add a section on what you can do with a spleen as opposed to what you can't...

-Ryan

above added by User:129.61.46.16 21:03, 21 February 2006

I have issue with the statement of use of antibiotics outside of medical advice. The use of Penicillin daily for life is most harmful purely for the fact that the bacterium trying to be prevented would become resistant to the low dose. The purpose for a "course" of antibiotics is to make sure all possibilities of resistance developing is wiped out. You should ALWAYS get medical diagnosis before starting a course of antibiotics.

Above added by User:60.224.124.26 14:47, 25 April 2006
  • It has not been well studied by single comparative studies how vaccination alone, antibiotics alone or combination of the two compare at prevention - the consensus is that the combination is probably better than either measure alone. With Penicillin generally used for the routine prophylaxis, very little "harm" is envisaged - most other disease causing bacteria (e.g. staphylococcus aureus, Ecoli) have been resistant to this for many years. As for pneumoccocal itself - only a few selected patients in the community are on long-term prophylaxis and so risks of resistance developing are small; although obviously a good reason not to routinely indiscriminatly treat viral sore throats, children's ear infections or adult's viral coughs with antibiotics. For an individual patient being concerned for long-term antibiotics resulting in resistance is tautology: If we envisage breading up their own bacteria to be resistant, then we are accepting they already have the bacteria - they are either immediately about to die from this infection, or are long-term carries of the bacteria and converting these into antibiotic-resistant will not make them any more virulent to that patient. If however the concern is of acquiring a resistant strain from elsewhere, then being on an ineffective antibiotic makes one no more likely to pick up an already resistant strain (but obviously will prevent picking up a sensitive strain).
  • As for awaiting a medical diagnosis before starting a full course - this is explicitly advised against for asplenic patients developing temperature or respiratory tract infections. Waiting to see a doctor and tests to be arranged etc may result in a delay of starting antibiotics for several hours - indeed surviving until the following morning to see ones doctor possibly is proof enough that that patient does not require antibiotics against septicaemia/meningitis causing bacteria - of course the trick is to have survived that long ! In addition most doctors are poorly aware of measures for those who are asplenic and so may not advise starting antibiotics unless the patient's condition starts to deteriorate, by which time it may be too late. Whilst doctors will be usually be right in normal patients in suggesting watchful waiting for a mild fever & sore throat that has started that day, for asplenic patients the risk is not of a greater throat soreness and an extra day off work prevented by a course of antibiotics, but of the onset of septicaemia - which is much better prevented than attempting to cure. Indeed whenever I see an asplenic patient with a mild fever starting within 24hours that they have waited to seek my opinion, I advice them to start taking antibiotics even before examining them - if the illness is just starting, no examination or test nor apparent "wellness" of the patient will exclude the possibility that something is not brewing-up. Of course, after examination I may well tell them that I think they have a viral infection and to be prepared for a few days off work, but I then re-emphasise that they should still take the course of antibiotics !
  • Of course asplenic patients having started a course of antibiotics should then see the own doctor - that otherwise isolated temperature may the next day have developed other signs suggesting cystitis for which a change in antibiotic is required (penicillin & amoxycillin are usually poor choices for urinary infections).
  • Also I agree that, in hindsight, the course of antibiotics might prove to have been unecessary - e.g. if everyone else in the family comes down with what proves to be a viral sore throat. But for asplenic patients the prevention of the rare but serious risk of septicaemia outweighs occasionally taking a course of antibiotics.
  • A long section was added about measures for those without a spleen - this seems inappropriate, given that there already is an article asplenia. However I agree than asplenia was a little limited in its description and needed expansion on travel advice and the need for antibiotics after animal bites. So I have transfered & merged info across to that article. Also I found additional info on what measures are required for tick bites (many sources just warn of these, but give little practical advice). David Ruben Talk 16:00, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Horse spleens

Horse spleen. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12648465/ Could this information be rolled into the article? Horses apparently dope their blood with extra blood from the spleen when running.

Above posted by User:71.131.83.177 21:08, 8 May 2006
Thanks - interesting article, the additional blood cells for exercise being stored in the spleen is already mentioned in the Anatomy section. I will though mark up and insert the full article reference you provided. David Ruben Talk 23:01, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

What is the purpose of the spleen? Why don't we take them out at birth? if the body had a corporation why would they not fire it?

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.76.67.26 (talk • contribs) 20:30, 15 May 2006 (edit)

what is the function of the spleen?

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.62.245.1 (talk • contribs) 03:40, 31 May 2006
Our limited understanding of its purpose seems clearly described in opening introduction - if this is not clear enough, please explain why so that another editor might try to improve. David Ruben Talk 02:58, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

I have a question. Could the swelling of a spleen go away and come back? What would cause this?

[edit] More Spleen Lore Needed

It seems that spleens are ruptured pretty easily-- if true, why is it so? Also, how do the spleenless deal with old red blood cells if they don't have a spleen to help in the process of destroying them? Physiologically, how does a spleenless human adapt? Possible infections aside, does a spleenless person have any noticeable troubles in daily life that a spleen possessor wouldn't have, e.g. circulatory problems that hinder athletic persuits? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.49.146.16 (talk • contribs)

The Kupfer cells in the liver compensate by removing effete (yes, that is the technical term!) red blood cells. Spleens are not ruptured that easily - you might as well ask why people break bones so easily as they do. It takes a lot of pressure at just the right angle to rupture a (healthy) spleen. And as far as I know, there are no long term problems with being spleenless except an increase in susceptibility to infection (which is generally a LOT LESS marked than a number of people here seem to believe).

Dlh-stablelights 21:00, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

How would one know if they ruptured or damaged their spleen? And what happens to them if it goes unnoticed?

I had a splenectomy, due to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't realize anything were missing. No limitations on athletics, etc. I think lymph nodes carry out many of same functions as the spleen and can more or less take over for it. -- Coneslayer 20:33, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Abscence

There was no citation regarding the statement that the abscence of a spleen has been linked to erectile dysfunction in certain trials.Jfournier 13:04, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

What infections, specifically, are an individual predisposed to after the removal of the spleen? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Louis reed (talk • contribs)

Have you checked out asplenia? -- Coneslayer 16:23, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] four humors

The "Etymology and cultural views" section of this article links the spleen to black bile and melancholy. But the Four humours article links it to yellow bile and anger. Me, I think the latter is probably correct, but someone shoudl research and definitively fix this. —Steve Summit (talk) 23:43, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] under Functions

The section states: "The most important functions of the spleen are mechanical filtration, which removes senescent red blood cells and control of infection." I'm having trouble parsing this. Should it read, "The most important [function] of the spleen [is] mechanical filtration, which removes (senescent red blood cells and) control of infection," or is there just a comma missing that would set off a parenthetical phrase, as in, "The most important functions of the spleen are mechanical filtration, which removes senescent red blood cells, and control of infection"?

I've reorganized that section - it should be clearer now. --Arcadian 23:24, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] funny word

I don't think it would be worthwhile at this point to add a "popular culture" section to the article, but I think it might be worth acknowledging the fact that this organ's name gets used quite often in comedic contexts. For example, there was once a Super Dave Osborne bit in which, after his usual disaster, he was saying that his spleen was "broken", and shortly after the line "I'm sure gonna miss my spleen" got one of the biggest laughs of the whole bit. It's not really the function of the organ itself as much as the name. So I'm going to go ahead and add the Inherently funny word article to the "see also" list for now, and if nobody has any objections, I'll try to make sure to add a mention of "spleen" in that article. - Ugliness Man 15:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Belly?

It doesn't seem very scientific. I think abdominal cavity would sound better. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.13.27.117 (talk • contribs) 2007-05-29

Also, the article could say which side of the body the spleen is on. It isn't clear from the picture whether one is looking at the front or the back. -Amatulić (talk) 21:33, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] gallbladder surgery

Can i have pain in my spleen after a gallbladder surgery? and also and endoscopy where the doctor remove a slush that i have on my track close to the pancreas?

[edit] Korean article?

This might be a silly question, but I was trying to explain a Korean what the spleen does, so I got the idea of just looking it up here and click on the korean link on the left... If there was one. Actually maybe there is, but I don't know what spleen is in Korean... So if anyone can help out it would be nice. (Either confirm there is no Korean article or just add the missing link) --91.19.183.173 —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 15:06, 23 September 2007 (UTC)