Four Abdominal Quadrants and Nine Abdominal Regions - Anatomy and Physiology

Summary

This educational transcript outlines the division of the abdomen into four quadrants and nine regions, crucial for healthcare professionals. It details the anatomical landmarks, such as the navel and midclavicular planes, and the organs located in each quadrant and region, including the liver, stomach, kidneys, and intestines. The script also offers mnemonics to aid in memorization, emphasizing the importance of this knowledge for abdominal assessments and documentation in medical practice.

Takeaways

• 📏 The abdomen can be divided into four quadrants by a transumbilical plane and a median plane.
• 📍 The four quadrants are the left upper, left lower, right upper, and right lower quadrants.
• 🧭 The navel is a key landmark for determining the location of the quadrants as it's where the dividing planes intersect.
• 👁️‍🗨 The terms 'right' and 'left' refer to the anatomical position, not the observer's perspective.
• 📚 Major organs in the right upper quadrant include the liver, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, right kidney, pancreas, and right adrenal gland.
• 📚 The left upper quadrant contains the liver, stomach, pancreas, left kidney, spleen, and left adrenal gland.
• 📚 The right lower quadrant has the appendix, reproductive organs, and the right ureter.
• 📚 The left lower quadrant includes the left ureter and reproductive organs.
• 🔍 The abdomen can also be divided into nine regions using additional parasagittal and transverse planes.
• 📖 The nine regions include the epigastric, umbilical, and hypogastric regions in the center, and left and right hypochondriac, lumbar, and iliac regions on the sides.

Q & A

How many quadrants are created by dividing the abdomen?

The abdomen is divided into four quadrants.

What are the two planes that intersect to create the four abdominal quadrants?

The two planes that intersect to create the four abdominal quadrants are the transumbilical plane and the median plane.

What is the significance of the navel in abdominal quadrants?

The navel is a major landmark in determining the location of the four quadrants, as it is the point where the two intersecting planes meet.

What is meant by the 'anatomical position' when referring to the right and left quadrants?

The 'anatomical position' refers to the body standing with the palms facing forward and feet together, which is the perspective from which right and left are determined in the quadrants.

Which organs are located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen?

In the right upper quadrant, organs such as the liver, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, right kidney, pancreas, and right adrenal gland are found.

What are the nine regions into which the abdomen can be further divided?

The nine regions are the right and left hypochondriac, right and left lumbar, right and left iliac, epigastric, umbilical, and hypogastric regions.

What are the two parasagittal planes used to divide the abdomen into nine regions?

The two parasagittal planes used to divide the abdomen into nine regions are the midclavicular planes.

What are the two horizontal planes used in the division of the abdomen into nine regions?

The two horizontal planes used are the subcostal plane, which is superior, and the intertubercular plane, which is inferior.

What organs are typically found in the left hypochondriac region?

In the left hypochondriac region, organs such as the spleen, large and small intestines, left kidney, pancreas, and tip of the liver are found.

What is a memory trick for remembering the nine abdominal regions?

A memory trick is to remember the sentence 'Hector loves Isabel every unceasing hour I love a good love story' for the regions: Hypochondriac, Lumbar, Iliac, Epigastric, Umbilical, and Hypogastric.