Physics in Medicine

(PHY4283)
Pressure within Body

Dr Condon LAU
Department of Physics
City University of Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3442 7882
Office: G6612 (near PHY General Office)
Email: condon.lau@cityu.edu.hk
 Pressure
• Pressure (the symbol: p) is the ratio of force to
the area over which that force is distributed.
In other words, pressure is force per unit area
applied in a direction perpendicular to the
surface of an object.
Units:
• Pascals (N/m2, Pa)
• 1 mm Hg = 133.3 Pa
• 1 atm = 105 Pa
where:
p is the pressure,
F is the normal force,
A is the area of the surface area on contact
 Pressure within body
• Intracranial pressure
• Blood pressure
• Intraocular pressure
• Pressure in the digestive system
• Pressure in the skeleton
• Pressure in the urinary bladder
Intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure inside the skull and thus in
the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The body has various
mechanisms by which it keeps the ICP stable, with CSF pressures
varying by about 1 mmHg in normal adults through shifts in
production and absorption of CSF.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear colorless bodily fluid produced in

the brain. It acts as a cushion or buffer for the cortex, providing a basic
mechanical and immunological protection to the brain inside the skull
and so on.

7-15 mm Hg

20-25 mm Hg
(require treatment)
Intraocular pressure (IOP)
IOP is the fluid pressure inside the eye.

15.5±2.75 mmHg
 Pressure in the skeleton

Figure 2.7 Pressure on the spinal column. (a) The pressure on the third lumbar disc for a subject (A)
standing, (B) standing and holding 20 kg, (C) picking up 20 kg correctly by bending the knees, and (D)
picking up 20 kg incorrectly without bending the knees. (b) The instantaneous pressure in the third
lumbar disc wile picking up and replacing 20 kg correctly and incorrectly. Note the much larger peak
pressure during incorrect lifting.
Pressure in digestive system

 Digestive tract
(Gastrointestinal System)
about 6 m in length starts
from the mouth to the anus.

 Pressure within GI is usually

greater than atm, except
esophagus.

 Eating increases the

stomach pressure mainly
due to swallowed air.
 Blood Pressure?
Blood is carried to all
parts of your body in
vessels called
arteries.

Blood pressure is the

force of blood pushing
against the arteries.
 Blood Pressure?
Each time the heart beats
(about 60-70 times a minute at
rest), it pumps out blood into
the arteries.
Your blood pressure is at its
highest when the heart beats,
pumping the blood.

When the heart is at

r
be
rest, between beats,

m
nu
your blood pressure

p
To
falls.
This is called SYSTOLIC pressure.
120/ 80 Bottom number

This is called DIASTOLIC pressure.

Your blood pressure is always given as these two numbers with one above
or before the other.

http://www.hsfpe.org/
 What Is Normal Blood Pressure?

Systolic Diastolic
Category (Top Number) (Bottom Number)

Normal Less than 120 Less than 80

“Normal” blood pressure is when both numbers

are lower than 120/80.
 E W
!!! “Prehypertension”
N
Top Number Bottom Number
Prehypertension 120-139 80-89

Which of the following

blood pressure readings
are considered 138/82 118/78 128/89
“prehypertensive”?

This category was created to alert people to their risk of developing high blood
pressure so they could make lifestyle changes that may help to avoid developing
this condition.
 “Prehypertension”
If your blood pressure is in the prehypertensive range:
Prehypertension 120-139 80-89

It means that you don’t have high blood pressure now, but you are likely to
develop it in the future.

Unless you take ACTION to prevent it!

What Is High Blood Pressure?
When blood pressure stays elevated over a long period of time it is
called high blood pressure or “hypertension”.

http://diseases-explained.com/

High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the

heart work too hard and contributes to hardening of the
arteries (atherosclerosis).
 What Is High Blood Pressure?
“Hypertension”

A blood pressure of 140/90 is considered high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure Systolic Diastolic
Stage 1 140-159 90-99

Stage 2 160 or higher 100 or higher

 What can high blood pressure do to your body?
Heart Attack
High blood pressure is a
major risk factor for heart
attack. The arteries bring
oxygen-carrying blood to the
heart muscle. If the heart
cannot get enough oxygen,
chest pain, can occur. If the
flow of blood is blocked, a
heart attack results.
Heart failure
The heart is unable to
pump enough blood to
supply the body's needs.
Arteries
Stroke
High blood pressure is the most
important risk factor for stroke. Very
high pressure can cause a break in a
weakened blood vessel, which then
bleeds in the brain. This can cause a
stroke. If a blood clot blocks one of the
narrowed arteries, it can also cause a
stroke.
Blindness
High blood pressure can eventually
cause blood vessels in the eye to
burst or bleed. Vision may become
blurred or otherwise impaired and
can result in blindness.
Kidney disease
Kidneys act as filters to rid the
As people get older, arteries body of waste. High blood
throughout the body pressure can narrow and
"harden," especially those in thicken the blood vessels of
the heart, brain, and the kidneys. The kidneys
kidneys. High blood pressure
is associated with these
filter less fluid and waste
"stiffer" arteries. This, in builds up in the blood. The
turn, causes the heart and kidneys may fail altogether.
kidneys to work harder.
 Pressure in urinary bladder
 One of the most “noticeable” internal pressure to human being
and animal due to urine accumulation.
 Pressure is about 30 cm H2O during urination. By muscle
contraction in bladder, the pressure may go up to 150 cm H2O.
 Micturition reflex is triggered by bladder pressure of
about 30 cm H2O.

 Coughing, straining, sitting up, tight clothes and

simple nervous stress also can increase the pressure.

 During pregnancy, the weight of fetus over the

bladder increase bladder pressure, thereby causing
frequent urination.

 Stressful situation may also increase bladder

pressure. e.g. studying for exam
The men suffering with prostatic obstruction of the
urinary passage, the pressure may be over 100 cm
H2O.

In direct cystometry, a needle is passed through the

wall of abdomen into the bladder.
Pressure effect while diving
Pressure effect while diving

Scuba diving –you

should first learn
how to manage
your air
consumption.

Boyle’s Law: PV =
constant

P1 V1 = P2 V2
120 mm Hg pressure (1.7 m under water) can cause eardrum to rupture.
 This means that the air in the lung is denser under
water and that the partial pressures of all the air
components are proportionately higher. (For example:
one breath at the surface fills your lungs with one
gallon of air. At ten meter depth the same breath will
take 2 gallons (compressed down into 1 gallon).)
 The higher partial pressure of O2 causes more O2
molecules to be transformed into the blood , and
oxygen poisoning results if the partial pressure of O2
gets high .Partial pressure of O2 is (0.8 atm) and
absolute air pressure is (4 atm) at depth of (30 m).
 Breathing air at a depth of (30m) is also dangerous
because it may result in excess N2 in the blood and
tissues ,there is a possibility of having :

 Nitrogen narcosis (intoxication effect).

 The bends or decompression sickness (a scant
problem).

*O2 is attached to red blood cells , while N2 is dissolved

in the blood and tissues .
*Narcosis (Greek word) is derived from narke,
"temporary decline or loss of senses and movement,
numbness”
Bends

 Problem gas in blood is always N2!

 Even at great depth, CO2 tension does not increase

much above the physiologically normal of about 40
mm Hg.

 O2 will not cause bends; rapidly used by tissues; O2

toxic at 1 atm.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HOT):-

The body normally lives in an atmosphere that is about

one fifth O2 and four – fifth N2. In some medical
situations it is beneficial to increase the proportion of
O2 in order to provide more O2 to the tissue.

Gas gangrene:- The bacillus causes gas gangrene

 HOT treatment

 Reason?
Bacillus cannot survive in the presence of oxygen
(O2).
Carbon Monoxide poisoning :-

 The red blood cells cannot carry O2 to the tissues

because the carbon monoxide attaches to the
hemoglobin at the places normally used by O2.

 HOT treatment

 Reason?

 Normally the amount of O2 dissolved in the blood is

about 2% of that carried on the red blood cells.
 By using the (HOT) technique , the partial pressure
of O2can be increased by a factor of 15, permitting
Treatment of cancer :-

(HOT) with radiation is given to the patient in

transparent plastic tank. The theory was that more
oxygen would make the poorly oxygenated radiation-
resistant cell in the center of the tumor more susceptible
to radiation damage .
Treatment of cancer :-
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