Traumatic splenic rupture.

71 patients with traumatic splenic rupture are reported. Most had severe associated injuries. In 44 patients the mechanism of trauma was blunt, in 10 penetrating, and in 17 iatrogenic, occurring most commonly (11/17) during operations for peptic ulcer. Splenectomy gave use to thrombocytosis which reached its peak about 2 weeks and returned to normal within one month after operation. Postoperative complications occurred in 24 of the 60 surviving patients (40%) of which most, 17 patients (30%) were infectious in origin. One patient developed deep venous thrombosis. Mortality was 16%. Associated injuries were the main cause of death in most patients (9/11), the ruptured spleen being responsible for only 2 deaths. None of the 17 patients with injury to the spleen alone died, whether associated with fractures of the left lower ribs or not. Primary unconsciousness, shock on admission, and multiple injuries, especially renal and hepatic, increased the mortality rate markedly. The necessity of drainage, the possibility of increased susceptibility of splenectomized patients to infection and thromboembolic complications and their prevention are briefly discussed.