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Child Has Sickle Cell Disease And Found Swollen Spleen. Should I Consult A Doctor?

Posted on Mon, 4 Mar 2013

Question: hi, my son has sickle cell and has a swollen spleen due to seems like a bad cold or sinus infection...just wondering what signs I should look for if I need to take him to ER??

Answered by Dr. Indranil Ghosh (5 hours later)

Hi
Thanks for writing in.
It is true that sickle cell disease leads to a small spleen in the majority but in childhood the spleen is often palpable (before there is auto-infarction which reduces the spleen size. As he is only 4 years age, I think that it is quite normal to find a palpable spleen in him.
You can continue the meds prescribed by your doc and only if he develops danger
signs like high fever, lethargy, poor oral intake, low urine output then you should take him to the ER.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available for further follow-up queries, if any.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Indranil Ghosh (16 hours later)

just wanted to say thank you for your response....he is continuing to do much better now. His spleen seems to have gone down some, he is taking his G-tube feedings better, urine output is great, and no fever. He is getting better from his illness. thanks again, your information really helped reassure me that he's on the right to track to getting better.

Answered by Dr. Indranil Ghosh (21 minutes later)

Thanks for following up.
Best wishes for him.
Regards.

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar