Ever wondered what going on inside your abdomen? Well, if you are choosing a career as a nurse then it is important for you to know what’s going on inside the abdomen. The abdomen is divided into four distinct quadrants and each one has its own unique role. All these four quadrants work together to ensure everything runs smoothly. In this blog, we will learn about the four abdominal quadrants and explore the organs that are in each quadrant.
4 quadrants of the abdomen
The abdomen is divided into four quadrants and each one contains distinct organs. These organs play important roles in different bodily functions such as digestion, metabolism, etc. Let us learn about each abdominal quadrant and its organs.
Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
Organs that are present in the Right Upper Quadrant (RAQ) are:
- Duodenum (first part of the small intestine)
- Gallbladder
- Liver
- Pancreas (head)
- Right kidney
- Right adrenal gland
- Stomach
Role and function: This quadrant plays an important role in digestion, detoxification, nutrition absorption, and hormone regulation.
Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
The Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ) consists of the following organs:
- Left adrenal gland.
- Left kidney.
- Liver
- Pancreas (body and tail)
- Spleen
- Large intestine (splenic flexure)
- Stomach
Role and function: This quadrant participates in digestion, filtration, nutrient absorption, and immune function.
Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
The organs that are part of Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ) are:
- Cecum
- Appendix
- Right ovary and fallopian tube (in females)
- Right ureter
Role and function: this quadrant is important for the final stages of digestion, absorption, and excretion of the waste, and in females, it also plays the role of reproduction.
Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)
The organs that are part of the Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ) are:
- Sigmoid Colon
- Left Ovary and Fallopian Tube (in females)
- Left Ureter
Role and function: This quadrant plays an important role in the final stages of digestion and waste elimination and also plays an important role in female reproductive health.
9 abdominal regions
There are 9 abdominal regions which are created by dividing the abdomen with two vertical and two horizontal lines. The 9 abdominal regions in the abdominal area are as follows:
- Right Hypochondriac Region: Located in the upper part of the abdomen under the ribs. It consists of parts of the gallbladder and liver.
- Left Hypochondriac Region: It is also located in the upper part of the abdomen under the ribs and consists of the parts of the stomach, pancreas, and spleen.
- Right Lumbar (or Flank) Region: It is located in the middle portion of the abdomen and consists of the parts of the large intestine (ascending colon), small intestine, and kidney.
- Left Lumbar (or Flank) Region: It is also located in the middle-left portion and consists of small intestine, kidney, and large intestine (descending colon)
- Right Iliac (or Inguinal) Region: It is located in the lower right part of the abdomen and consists of the small intestine and cecum which is the beginning of the large intestine.
- Left Iliac (or Inguinal) Region: It is located in the lower left of the abdomen and consists of the parts of the small intestine and descending colon.
- Epigastric Region: It is located below the rib cage and consists of the parts of the small intestine, pancreas, stomach, and liver.
- Umbilical Region: It is present around the naval.
- Hypogastric (or Pubic) Region: It is located at the lower central portion of the abdomen just above the pelvis.
Mnemonics to remember 9 regions of the Abdomen.
To remember the 9 regions of the abdomen the simple tip is the following mnemonic.
“Hector Loves Isabel Every Unceasing Hour.”
- Hypochondriac (Hector)
- Lumbar (Loves)
- Iliac (Isabel)
- Epigastric (Every)
- Umbilical (Unceasing)
- Hypogastric (Hour)
9 regions and its diseases
- Right Hypochondriac Region: Common diseases in this region include liver cancer, gallstones, peptic ulcers, hepatitis, etc.
- Epigastric Region: Common diseases include acid reflux, pancreatitis, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), etc.
- Left Hypochondriac Region: Common diseases include Left-sided pneumonia and enlarged spleen) etc.
- Right Lumbar Region: Diseases in this region of the abdomen consist of Kidney stones, Urinary tract infections (UTIs), and Appendicitis.
- Umbilical Region: Diseases of this region consist of Small intestine disorders, Umbilical hernia, and Pancreatitis.
- Left Lumbar Region: The common diseases include Kidney stones, Ulcerative colitis, and Urinary tract infections.
- Right Iliac (Inguinal) Region: Diseases of this region include Ectopic pregnancy (in females), Crohn’s disease, and Ovarian cysts (in females).
- Hypogastric (Pubic) Region: The common diseases of this region of the abdomen are Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Hernias (inguinal or femoral), and Endometriosis (in females).
- Left Iliac (Inguinal) Region: The common diseases of this region in the abdomen include Diverticulitis (left-sided), Ovarian cysts (in females), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Which abdominal region is above the hypogastric region?
The abdominal region above the hypogastric region is the umbilical region.
Which quadrant houses the appendix?
The appendix is located in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.
Conclusion:
It is important for healthcare professionals and nurses to understand the 4 quadrants of the abdomen to diagnose conditions based on symptoms. The abdomen consists of four quadrants housing vital organs that are responsible for bodily functions such as digestion, waste elimination metabolism, etc. In this blog, we have also discussed that the abdomen is divided into 9 regions, and each is associated with specific organs and diseases. The simple mnemonic to learn the 9 regions of the abdomen is “Hector Loves Isabel Every Unceasing Hour”. For healthcare professionals and nurses, it is important to understand the location of organs and related conditions to diagnose diseases.
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