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Paramedic anatomy and physiology - 1

Contents

• Anatomical and medical terms
• Questions
• References and Further Reading
• Cellular biology
• Quick Questions
• References and Further Reading
• The nervous system
• Questions
• Questions
• References and Further Reading
• The respiratory system
• Questions
• Quick Questions
• References and Further Reading
• The cardiovascular system
• Questions
• The heart
• Questions
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• References and Further Reading
• The gastrointestinal system
• References and Further Reading
• The endocrine and exocrine system
• Questions
• References and Further Reading
• The renal and urinary system
• Questions
• References and Further Reading
• The skeletal system
• References and Further Reading
• The muscular system
• References and Further Reading
• The integumentary system
• Questions
• References and Further Reading
• Paediatrics
• References and Further Reading

This section will take you through the basics of anatomy, physiology and some pathophysiology required for your learning. Physiology is often overlooked but it underpins every aspect of clinical care within medicine. By understanding the physiology you can interpret how the patient is presenting even if you don't know what is wrong with them, from this you will be able to form management plans to alter the physiology back to normal.

Firstly what you will need to learn is how to classify areas of the body and general terms for describing movement and positioning within healthcare. It may seem daunting at first but with repetition and application in practice the terms will stick. There are regular question breaks throughout to check your learning.

Anatomical and medical terms

Anatomy - The science of the body structures and the relationship between them studied by dissection.

Physiology - The science of how the body functions and the actions of each organ.

The anatomical position - Facing forwards with palms forwards

Regions of the body

Figure 1.1 A labeled representation presented in the anatomical position.

Directional terminology

Superior - Above or higher to the point described e.g. the head is superior to the shoulders

Inferior - Below or lower to the point described e.g. the bowel is inferior to the diaphragm

Anterior (Ventral) - Towards the front of (using the anatomical position) e.g. the sternum is anterior to the heart.

Posterior (Dorsal) - Towards the back of e.g. the oesophagus is posterior to the trachea

Medial - Closer to the midline e.g. the heart is medial to the lungs

Lateral - Further from the midline e.g. the lungs are lateral to the heart

Ipsilateral - On the same side as e.g. the gallbladder and the appendix are ipsilateral

Contralateral - On the opposite side to e.g. the spleen is contralateral to the ascending colon

Proximal - Closer to the point of origin e.g. the knee is proximal to the ankle

Distal - Further from the point of origin e.g. the wrist is distal to the elbow

Superficial - Closer to the surface e.g. the epidermis is superficial to the subcutaneous

Deep - Further below the surface e.g. the subcutaneous is deep to the epidermis

Anatomical planes

Midsagital - Divides the body or organ vertically into equal left and right portions

Parasagital - Divides the body or organ vertically into unequal left and right portions

Frontal (Cronal) - Divides the body or organ vertically into anterior and posterior portions

Transverse - Divides the body or organ horizontally into superior and inferior portions

Oblique - Passes through the body or an organ at an angle

Postural terms

Supine - Lying on their back

Prone - Lying on their front

Right lateral recumbent - Lying on their right side

Left lateral recumbent - Lying on their left side

Fowlers - Sitting up with legs bent or straight

Tredelenburg - Lying supine with their legs raised

These terms, although it may not seem it now, are essential to your practice as they allow for greatly improved paperwork, handovers and conversations with colleagues.

Planes of movement

Abduction - Movement away from the midline e.g. raising arms out (to abduct)

Adduction - Movement towards the midline e.g. lowering arms (to add together)

Flexion - Bending at a joint e.g. raising forearm (flexing biceps)

Extension - Straightening a joint e.g. lowering forearm (extending a hand to shake)

Medial rotation - Turning inwards e.g. toe in

Lateral rotation - Turning outwards e.g. toe out

Supination - Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces forwards (palm UP)

Pronation - Rotation of the forearm to that the palm faces backwards (palm DOWN)

Abdominal regions

Figure 1.2 Labeled nine regions of the abdomen.

Questions

1. Without looking, define the following terms. (These you can check yourself)
   1. Anterior
   2. Proximal
   3. Inferior
   4. Medial
   5. Superficial

      The last few pages have been very wordy so here are some questions just to help test if it has gone in. See what you can do without looking.

2. Fill in the blanks
   1. The kidneys are ______________________ to the stomach
   2. The shoulders are ______________________ to the head
   3. The trachea is ______________________ to the oesophagus
   4. Brain is found in the ______________________ region
   5. The fingers are ______________________ to the wrist
3. A patient found lying on their back is said to be in what position?
4. The plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into equal left and right portions is what?
5. What movement is involved when the hand touches the shoulder?

Further questions - don't worry if you can't answer these now you may choose to research these now, but if not be sure to revisit them later.

The appendix is found in which region? (Try to use the nine segments)

Trendelenburg position is primarily utilised in patients with what?

Shortening and lateral rotation of a leg is a sign of (but not definitively) what?

Answers can be found at the back of the book

References and Further Reading

1. Gregory, P. and Ward, A. (2010). Sanders' Paramedic Textbook. Edinburgh: Mosby Elsevier.
2. Marcovitch, H. (2017). Black's Medical Dictionary, 43e. London: Bloomsbury.
3. Tortora, G.J. and Derrickson, B.H. (2017). Tortora's Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 15e. Chichester: Wiley.
4. Waugh, A. and Grant, A. (2018). Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology. Edinburgh: Elsevier.

Cellular biology

Nice to know or need to know? This may seem a bit in depth for a Paramedic however having a good understanding at this level allows for a greater understanding on a larger scale. The benefits will also show when discussing drugs later on! Let's start with the basics.

Cells are complicated but the basics can be broken down at this level. We will build on this throughout the book so it's worth getting an understanding now. So what makes up a cell?

Parts of a cell

Figure 1.3 Labeled diagram of a cell.

The cell wall

Figure 1.4 Simplified depiction of the phospholipid bilayer of a cell wall.

Functions of the main organelles

• Nucleus - Storage and synthesis of DNA
• Mitochondria - Production of energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) by respiration
• Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum - Protein synthesis
• Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum - Lipid synthesis
• Centrioles - Microtubules associated with nuclear division
• Golgi apparatus - Storage, modification and packaging of proteins and other chemicals

Biological terms...