Anatomy and Physiology

Topic 1: I believe using abbreviations can truly help communications between health care professionals, because it makes it easier to convey what you are trying to say. For example, instead of saying or writing down “cardiopulmonary resuscitation” you could say “CPR”. This also helps speed up the process when a transcriptionist copies down a report; they don’t necessarily have to write out the full meaning and the physician who reads the report will still have a full understanding of what it says.
However, not understanding abbreviations can make them a hindrance as well. If the nurse treating a patient does not understand the abbreviation “NPO” the nurse could harm the patient by offering an oral medicine. It has also been known to occur that doctors sometimes use incorrect abbreviations when they write prescriptions, which can cause the patient to receive the wrong medication.

Topic 2: Behaviors and environmental factors can contribute to disease by introducing harmful bacteria and chemicals into the body. Smoking can reduce blood circulation by constricting the blood vessels, raise your blood pressure, and even cause emphysema. Bad eating habits can cause malnutrition and lead to a lower immune system, restricting the body’s ability to fight off infections. Hepatitis, a disease of the liver, can be caused by chronic alcoholism or drug abuse. Those people living around Love Canal developed cancer because the local water supply had been contaminated by nuclear waste. A person who decides to sunbathe without sunscreen all summer runs a high risk of contracting melanoma, due to the amount of UV rays they are receiving.

Topic 3 Homeostasis is the desired balance of all the vital signs of the body in order to keep the body functioning correctly. It is important to have a “command center” to monitor this information in order to maintain this balance. The brain is the command center for the body, controlling your breathing, heart rate, blood