Spleen findings in drowning

Abstract

A retrospective study of spleen findings in 42 victims of drowning and a comparison group of 42 c,lses of asphyxiation due to other causes (hanging, ligature strangulation and manual strangulation), that were matched for sex, age, body weight and build, was performed.Significantly smaller spleen weights (P < 0.05), spleen weightbody weight ratios (P < 0.01) and spl.een weight:liver weight ratios (P < 0.01) were found in the victims of drowning. The difference in weight was -18"!.,. A significant negative correlation between spleen weight and blood alcohol concentration was found in the study group (r = -0.44; P < 0.01), but not in the control group. The possibility that the findings are due to a stress reaction caused by hypoxia in the presence of cooling and an influence of alcohol on reflex mechanisms is discussed.

Injuries due to Asphyxiation and Drowning

“…In a series of 42 victims of freshwater drowning, the spleen weight was lower than in matched controls, with half the spleens being of a weight under the lower limit of controls (Haffner et al 1994). The value of the spleen weight as well as that of the weight ratio of the lungs and pleural effusion to the spleen, defined by some authors as the 'drowning index' , is questionable due to the wide variation of lung and spleen weight in the autopsy population.…”

CT measurement of splenic volume changes as a result of hypovolemic shock

“…This, he suggested, showed the spleen had contracted [2]. Observations of human splenic volume reduction have been recorded more recently [3][4][5][6][7]. A comprehensive series of in-vitro studies found that stimulation of the postganglionic sympathetic nerves to the human spleen evoked reductions in spleen volume [2].…”

“…All research on splenic volume reduction has been associated with sympathetic nervous system activity [1]. In these studies, the volume changes of the spleen were demonstrated by use of ultrasound [5], magnetic resonance imaging [6], or nuclear medicine [1]. Other studies used spleens obtained by surgery [2] or autopsy [4].…”

“…The human spleen can contract in size, and splenic volume reduction is associated with elevation of sympathetic nervous system activity [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Although it is not known from computed tomography (CT) whether splenic volume is reduced among shock patients, a small number of papers have addressed splenic volume change in CT in general [2,3].…”

Deneysel Olarak Tatlı Suda Boğulmanın Sıçan Akciğer Karaciğer Beyin Kalp ve Böbrek Ağırlıklarına Etkisi

“…217 suda boğulan, 166 pür asfiksi ve 381 travma ölümünde, akciğer, böbrek ve dalakta ortalama organ ağırlığının asfikside travmaya göre arttığı, hem asfiksi hem de suda boğulmada dalak ve karaciğer ağırlığının arttığı, suda boğulmada asfiksiye göre sadece akciğer ve böbreklerin ortalama ağırlığının arttığını belirtmişlerdir. Bazı çalışmalarda; ası, elle ya da bağla boğma gibi sebeplerden dolayı gelişen asfiksiler ile karşılaştırıldığında, dalak ağırlığı/vücut ağırlığı oranının suda boğulma kurbanlarındakinden önemli ölçüde daha küçük olduğu bulunmuştur (11,12). Bu deneysel çalışmada, suda boğulma olgularının organ ağırlıkları diğer asfiktik ölümlerle karşılaştırılmamış, ayrıca dalak ağırlığı çalışmaya dâhil edilmemiştir.…”