Anatomy and Physiology

1. A woman is brought to an emergency room complaining of severe pain in her left iliac region. She claims previous episodes and says that the condition is worse when she is constipated, and is relieved by defecation. A large, tender mass is palpated in the left iliac fossa and a barium study reveals a large number of diverticula in her descending and sigmoid colon. What are diverticula, and what is believed to promote their formation? Does this woman have diverticulitis or diverticulosis? Explain.

2. A patient has esophageal cancer and must have a feeding tube inserted. The nurse tells the patient that the tube will be inserted surgically into the duodenum. The patient’s wife asks why the tube will not be inserted into the stomach. What should the nurse say?

3. What clinical effects would low blood pressure have on the kidneys of a burn patient?

4. Ellen, a 47-year-old woman who has suffered kidney disease for several years, has been diagnosed with proteinuria. Her legs and feet are so swollen that she has difficulty walking. Her hands and her left arm are also swollen. What is proteinuria, and could this condition be playing a role in her swollen limbs?

5. Explain how filtration works in the glomerular capillaries. Explain how an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) such as captopril would be effective as an antihypertensive.

6. Humans can survive for a period of time without water thanks to the ability of the kidneys to produce concentrated urine. Explain the factors that allow this to happen.

7. How is digestive activity provoked after eating? What activates the secretion of digestive juices into the lumen or hormones into the blood?