Transcript Body Systems

LESSON 5
THE HUMAN BODY
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-1
Introduction
• Body is composed of different organs and tissues
working together
• Minor injury or illness may damage only a specific
body part or function
• Serious injury or sudden illness can threaten vital
body functions
• Understanding human body can help you recognize
effects of injuries and illnesses
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-2
Body Regions and Directions
• Special terms are used
by health care providers
for body regions
• Directional and
positional terms used to
describe relationship of
body structures
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-3
Body Regions and Cavities
• Extremities refers to both arms and legs
• Thorax refers to chest area enclosed by the ribs
• Thoracic cavity is area inside chest
• Abdomen refers to area immediately below
thoracic cavity
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-4
Body Regions and Cavities
(continued)
• Abdominal cavity includes stomach, intestines,
other organs
• Pelvis refers to area below abdomen: pelvic bones
between hip and lower spine
• Pelvic cavity contains bladder and other organs
• Spine, or spinal column, refers to bones of neck
and back and nerves, or spinal cord, that run
through vertebrae
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-5
Abdominal Quadrants
Used to describe specific
injuries or signs and
symptoms
• Upper and lower
quadrants divided by line
passing through umbilicus
• Quadrants based on
anatomical position, with
face forward and palms
facing forward
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-6
Directional Terms
All positional and directional terms are based on
anatomical position:
• Right and left refer to patient’s right and left, divided by
midline down center of body
• Lateral and medial
• Anterior and posterior
• Proximal and distal
• Superior and inferior
• Prone and supine
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-7
Body Systems
• Organs have one or more specific functions
• The organs that work together for a specific function are
called a body system
• Body systems are closely interrelated and work together
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-8
Examples of
Interrelated Body Systems
• Blood carries oxygen from lungs to body cells
• Nerve sensors detect amount of oxygen and carbon
dioxide in the blood and speed up or slow down heart
beat and breathing to change oxygen level
• If body temperature drops, muscles in extremities
start shivering to produce heat, which is carried by
blood to vital organs
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-9
Key Body Systems
• Most fundamental for life are the respiratory and
cardiovascular systems
• Body cells need a constant supply of oxygen
• Any failure of breathing or blood circulation threatens
life within minutes
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-10
Pathophysiology
• “Patho” refers to an abnormality
• Understanding what can go wrong in each body
system from injury or illness is important for giving
emergency care
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-11
Respiratory System
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-12
Functions of
Respiratory System
• To bring air into lungs
• To allow oxygen from air to
enter blood
• To remove carbon dioxide
from blood into air
breathed out (exhaled)
• This process is called
respiration
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-13
Respiratory System:
Primary Organs
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-14
The Breathing Process
Breathing depends on muscular movements under control
of nervous system:
• When the diaphragm contracts/moves down, thoracic cavity
and lungs expand, pulling air into lungs
• Intercostal muscles assist with ventilation
• In lungs, oxygen enters blood and carbon dioxide leaves
blood
• When diaphragm relaxes and moves up, thoracic cavity
contracts, and air carrying carbon dioxide flows back out of
lungs
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-15
Emergency Conditions Related
to the Respiratory System
• Respiration can be affected by different injuries and illnesses
• An airway obstruction is blockage of airway preventing air flow
• Inadequate oxygenation due to low oxygen, poison gas, lung
infection, etc.
• A broken rib may puncture a lung, making breathing
ineffective
• A penetrating injury into lungs may alter lung pressures
keeping lungs from filling with air
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-16
Emergency Conditions Related
to the Respiratory System (continued)
• Poisoning or drug overdose may depress nervous system
functions, slowing or stopping breathing
• Asthma is a common illness in which airway tissues swell
making it hard to breathe
• In infants and children, anatomical structures are smaller and
airway is more easily obstructed
• Uncorrected respiratory problem is the primary cause of
cardiac arrest in infants and children
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-17
Cardiovascular System
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-18
Functions of the
Cardiovascular System
• To transport oxygen and nutrients in the blood to all
parts of body
• To remove carbon dioxide and other wastes
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-19
Cardiovascular System:
Primary Organs
• Heart
• Blood
• Blood vessels
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-20
The Blood
• Red blood cells carry oxygen to body cells
• White blood cells are an important part of the immune
system
• Plasma is the liquid substance of blood
• Blood also carries glucose to body cells for energy
• Blood clotting factors help control bleeding
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-21
Pathway of Blood
Ventricles pump blood through 2 loops or cycles in body:
• Right ventricle pumps blood to lungs picking up oxygen and
releasing carbon dioxide
• Blood returns to left atrium, from which it moves to left
ventricle
• Left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood into body to release
oxygen and pick up carbon dioxide for removal
• Blood returns to right atrium, moving to right ventricle to be
pumped again to lungs
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-22
Pulses
• Pulsing blood pressure changes occur in arteries that
can be felt as pulse
• Commonly measured pulses:
- Carotid
- Femoral
- Radial
- Brachial
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-23
Heart Rate
• Heart rate, measured as pulse, is
affected by many factors
• Average resting heart rate in adult
males is 6472 beats/minute; in
females, 7280 beats/minute
• Heart rate of infants and children
is higher
• With exercise, fever or emotional
excitement, heart rate increases
to meet body’s greater need for
oxygen
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-24
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Cardiovascular System
• Cells begin to die in vital organs such as brain after only a
few minutes without oxygen
• Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when vital
body organs are not receiving enough oxygen
• Oxygen delivery diminished by injury or illness affecting
heart, blood, or blood vessels
• Severe bleeding leaves not enough blood in circulation to
provide body with oxygen
• Arterial bleeding is most severe  blood may spurt out under
pressure, leading to life-threatening shock
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-25
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Cardiovascular System (continued)
• Bleeding from veins generally slower but can still be
serious or life threatening if it continues
• Capillary bleeding usually minor and stops by itself as
blood clots
• Problems affecting blood volume (bleeding, repeated
vomiting or diarrhea, or burns) affect circulation
• Blood vessel problems (inability to constrict) cause poor
circulation; may occur with spinal cord injuries, infection
or anaphylaxis
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-26
Cardiovascular Illnesses
• Stroke is problem involving arteries in brain; reduced circulation may
cause mental and physical impairments
• If heart muscle does not receive enough oxygenated blood because
of blocked cardiac arteries, cardiac muscle tissue may die
• The heart may stop (cardiac arrest)
• Dysrhythmia (or arrhythmia), an irregular heartbeat, may reduce
heart’s pumping ability
• Fibrillation, a serious dysrhythmia, common after heart attack
• Any problem affecting the heart rate or strength of contractions can
cause poor circulation and shock (poisoning, heart disease)
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-27
Musculoskeletal System
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-28
Functions of the
Musculoskeletal System
• Skeletal system provides shape and support for body
as a whole
• Muscles act on bones, allowing for movement
• Groups of bones protect vital internal organs:
- Ribs protect heart and lungs
- Skull protects brain
- Vertebrae protect spinal cord
- Pelvic bones protect bladder and other organs
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-29
Musculoskeletal System:
Primary Organs
• Bones
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Ligaments
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-30
Types of Muscles
• Skeletal muscles create body movements and also
produce heat  usually under voluntary control
• Smooth muscles such as in the esophagus and blood
vessels are usually under involuntary control
• Cardiac muscle is also involuntary but is unique in
that the heart produces its own stimuli to contract
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-31
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Musculoskeletal System
• Most fractures are not life-threatening
• In a dislocation, one or more bones move out of
position in joint
• Sprain is stretching and tearing of ligaments and other
structures in a joint
• Strain is muscle or tendon tear usually caused by
overexerting muscle
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-32
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Associated with Other Injuries
• Vertebral fractures likely to injure spinal cord and
cause nervous system damage
• Fractures of femur often cause much soft-tissue
damage, bleeding and femoral artery damage
• Pelvis fracture may damage bladder/other organs in
pelvic cavity or femoral arteries
• A skull fracture may cause brain damage
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-33
Nervous System
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-34
Nervous System:
Primary Functions
• Sensory receptors gather information about
environment and send to brain
• Brain integrates and analyzes information
• Nerve signals from brain lead to actions throughout
body to accomplish tasks or maintain homeostasis
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-35
Nervous System:
Primary Organs
• Brain
• Spinal cord
• Sensory receptors
• Nerves
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-36
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Nervous System
• Head and spinal injuries
- Serious or life threatening
• Injury to part of brain or stroke
- May destroy or impair one or more functions
• Damage to spinal cord
- Complete loss of function to body area or paralysis
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-37
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Nervous System
(continued)
• Altered mental status from:
- Head injuries
- Any injury causing decreased oxygenation
- Sudden illness (e.g., stroke, seizure, diabetes)
- Severe infection or fever
- Poisoning or drug overdose
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-38
Nervous System Effects
Associated with Other Injuries
• Injuries and some illnesses also affect nervous system
• Pain results from damage to nerve fibers in many
areas of body
• Crushing pain in chest may be caused by heart attack
• Abdominal pain that begins in umbilicus and settles
into lower abdomen on right side may be a sign of
appendicitis
• Pain should always be taken seriously
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-39
Other Body Systems
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-40
Integumentary System:
Primary Functions
• Protect body
• Help regulate body temperature
• Help prevent water loss
• Sensation (e.g., touch, pressure, pain, temperature)
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-41
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Integumentary System
• Cuts and scrapes
- Bleeding
• Openings in skin
- Allow pathogens into body
• Heat and chemical burns
- Loss of body heat
- Loss of body fluid
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-42
Importance of Skin Condition
• Skin often reveals important information about body
condition
• Skin of hypothermia patient
• Skin of heatstroke patient
• Skin of patient with low blood oxygen levels
• Skin of patient in shock
• Many sudden illnesses cause sweating and skin color
changes (flushed or pale)
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-43
Gastrointestinal System
• Digests food and
extracts nutrients
• Organs easily injured
by traumatic forces
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-44
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Gastrointestinal System
• Abdominal cavity not protected by bones, gastrointestinal organs
may be easily injured by traumatic forces
• In closed injury, pain or tenderness along with swollen, rigid
abdomen may suggest internal injury
• In an open wound, internal organs may be exposed, raising risk
of infection
• Ingested poison is absorbed in the same manner as nutrients
from food and enters the bloodstream to affect body
• Various illnesses may cause vomiting or diarrhea, which can
lead to dehydration especially in infants
• Vomiting blood is likely sign of a serious internal injury
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-45
Functions of the
Urinary System
• Removes metabolic
wastes from body in urine
• Helps body maintain fluid
and electrolyte balances
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-46
Urinary System: Primary Organs
• Blood transports
wastes to kidneys
• Kidneys filter wastes
and produce urine
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-47
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Urinary System
• Traumatic injury may
damage organs
- Look for blood in urine
• Health problems
- May cause change in
urination
• Dehydration
- Lack of urination
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-48
Reproductive System
• Female
- Produces eggs
- Supports and nurtures fetus in uterus
- Childbirth
- Lactation
• Male
- Produces and transports sperm
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-49
Emergency Conditions Related to
the Reproductive System
• Abdominal injuries may damage genitals or
reproductive organs – such wounds may require
special care, including concern for patient’s privacy
• Complications may develop in pregnancy
• Childbirth may occur unexpectedly away from a
health care facility
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-50
Endocrine System
• Glands that produce hormones
• Most problems develop slowly
and are rarely emergencies
• Diabetes can cause
emergencies
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-51
Lymphatic System
• Helps defend against disease
• Part of immune system
• Problems seldom cause
emergencies
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-52
Growth and Development
Through the Life Span
• Basic body functions are similar in people at all ages
• Many significant changes occur in the body
throughout the lifespan
• Be aware of such differences when assessing and
caring for patients
© 2011 National Safety Council
5-53