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Big symptom of splenic injury

User Nick Zuber
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Final answer:

Kehr's sign, which includes pain in the left shoulder, chest, and neck, can indicate a splenic injury due to a rupture that causes pressure on the diaphragm, leading to referred pain in those areas.

Step-by-step explanation:

A big symptom of splenic injury is Kehr's sign, which is the presence of pain in the left shoulder, chest, and neck regions. This occurs when the spleen ruptures and blood spills into the region just inferior to the diaphragm in the upper-left quadrant of the abdominopelvic cavity. The accumulating hemorrhage puts pressure on the diaphragm, and because the diaphragm's sensation is referred to regions where its sensory nerves lead, the pain is felt in the regions corresponding to the diaphragm, not directly in the spleen.

Other possible symptoms in the context of splenic injury can include anemia and hypotension, which might arise due to the loss of blood, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, which can further complicate splenic injuries and lead to additional health issues such as kidney failure and increase the risk of death.

User Toshiko
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