Anatomy and Physiology: Abdominal Divisions

Importance in Healthcare

• Essential for abdominal assessments and documentation in healthcare professions (e.g., nursing).

Four Abdominal Quadrants

• Planes Used:
  • Horizontal plane (trans-umbilical plane)
  • Median plane
• Quadrants:
  • Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
  • Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
  • Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
  • Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)
• Key Landmarks:
  • Navel (belly button) is the major landmark.
  • Right and left are from the patient’s perspective (anatomical position).

Major Organs by Quadrant

• Right Upper Quadrant:
  • Liver, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, right kidney, pancreas, right adrenal gland
• Left Upper Quadrant:
  • Liver, stomach, pancreas, left kidney, spleen, left adrenal gland
• Right Lower Quadrant:
  • Appendix, reproductive organs, right ureter
• Left Lower Quadrant:
  • Left ureter, reproductive organs
• All Quadrants:
  • Portions of the small and large intestines

Nine Abdominal Regions

• Division Method:
  • Two parasagittal planes (midclavicular)
  • Two horizontal planes (subcostal and intertubercular planes)
• Regions:
  • Right/Left Hypochondriac
  • Right/Left Lumbar
  • Right/Left Iliac
  • Epigastric
  • Umbilical
  • Hypogastric

Naming and Landmarking

• Right/Left Columns:
  • Named after nearby bones.
• Center Column:
  • Named for location relative to the stomach.
• Memory Trick:
  • Side columns: Hypochondriac, Lumbar, Iliac (H, L, I)
  • Center regions: Epigastric, Umbilical, Hypogastric (E, U, H)
  • Sentence: "Hector loves Isabel every unceasing hour."

Major Organs by Region

• Right Hypochondriac:
  • Liver, gall bladder, right kidney, intestines
• Epigastric:
  • Liver, stomach, pancreas, duodenum, spleen, adrenal glands
• Left Hypochondriac:
  • Spleen, intestines, left kidney, pancreas, stomach, liver tip
• Right Lumbar:
  • Ascending colon, small intestine, right kidney
• Umbilical:
  • Duodenum, small intestine, transverse colon
• Left Lumbar:
  • Descending colon, small intestine, left kidney
• Right Iliac:
  • Appendix, cecum, ascending colon, small intestine
• Hypogastric:
  • Bladder, sigmoid colon, small intestine, reproductive organs
• Left Iliac:
  • Sigmoid colon, descending colon, small intestine

Additional Learning Resources

• Free quiz available (link in description).
• Anatomy and Physiology playlist on YouTube for more videos.

Conclusion

• Understanding abdominal divisions is crucial for clinical practice and documentation in healthcare settings.