Medical-surgical Nursing Demystified

(Sean Pound) #1

(^374) Medical-Surgical Nursing Demystified


How the Genitourinary System Works


The genitourinary system refers to the parts of the body involved in the production
and transport of urine, as well as the surrounding structures. The kidneys are found
in the posterior part of the upper abdominal area, relatively protected by the lower
ribs. They are lateral to the spinal column. The left kidney is found higher than the
right kidney due to the location of the liver within the abdomen. The renal artery
supplies blood to the kidneys. The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, the
area where urine is formed. Within the nephron, there is a long tubule. This ini-
tially surrounds the glomerulus in an area called Bowman’s capsule. Bowman’s
capsule narrows into a proximal convoluted tubule which has many curves and
eventually straightens into a downward loop of Henle, which makes a sharp turn
to come back up into the cortex of the kidney. The initial upward portion of the
loop of Henle is thin and then becomes thick, which is the distal convoluted tubule.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering wastes from the bloodstream; they aid
in the control of fluid and electrolyte balance, acid-base balance, blood pressure

Key Terms


Azotemia
Bacilli Calmette-Guérin
Bladder biopsy
Cystoscopy
Glomerular filtration rate
Hematuria

Nephrectomy
Nephritic syndrome
Nephrolithiasis
Nocturia
Oliguria
Peripheral edema

Renal calculi
Transrectal ultrasound
Urinary frequency
Urinary hesitancy
Urinary urgency
Urography

Benign prostatic hypertrophy
(BPH)
Bladder cancer
Acute glomerulonephritis
Kidney cancer
Kidney stones

Prostate cancer
Pyelonephritis
Renal failure
Testicular cancer
Urinary tract infection

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Learning Objectives

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