Abdominal Quadrants App

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This app is provided for mnemonic purposes only.

In addition to helping a student learn very basic anatomy, this app can help to reinforce the anatomical concept of right and left.

In EMS, the abdominal area is commonly divided into four quadrants centered on the umbilicus, or belly button. Knowing what is in these quadrants can help with patient assessment. In all of the textbooks I have seen, the quadrants are listed from right to left and from upper to lower:

1. Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
2. Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
3. Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
4. Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)

This app takes a narrow view that the concept of abdominal quadrants refers only to body parts within the abdominal cavity. Thus the kidneys (which are primarily retroperitoneal) are excluded; however, the ureters are included. The small intestine (including its duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) is excluded because parts of it lie in each quadrant. Likewise, body parts located midline (i.e. the uterus) are also excluded.

In this app, the quadrants and locations of their respective body parts are:

1. Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
The Majority of the Liver
The Head of the Pancreas
A Small Part of the Stomach
The Upper Part of the Ascending Colon
The Right Part of the Transverse Colon
2. Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
The Body of the Pancreas
Tail of the Pancreas
The Spleen
The Smaller Part of the Liver
The Majority of the Stomach
The Left Part of the Transverse Colon
The Upper Part of the Descending Colon
3. Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
The Lower Part of the Ascending Colon
The Appendix
The Cecum
The Right Ureter
The Right Ovary
The Right Fallopian Tube
4. Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)
The Lower Part of the Descending Colon
The Sigmoid Colon
The Left Ureter
The Left Ovary
The Left Fallopian Tube

This app assumes a normal organ location and that the user knows who has and does not have ovaries and fallopian tubes.

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