Medical-surgical Nursing Demystified

(^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