Students at Norwin High School got real-life experience in taking blood pressures last week.
They were taught by nursing students from Westmoreland County Community College as part of the high school's Physics in Medicine course.
The course, created last year by
Students at Norwin High School got real-life experience in taking blood pressures last week.
They were taught by nursing students from Westmoreland County Community College as part of the high school's Physics in Medicine course.
The course, created last year by teacher Matt Anticole, shows students the physics involved in medicine, from the force of blood running through the veins and arteries to the power of radiation in killing tumors.
He shares teaching the course with Brandan Salany.
The three course units this semester are blood physics, radiation oncology and medical imaging. Medical imaging can involve sonograms, X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans with or without dye injected into the body.
Mr. Anticole said if time allows, the course may also include the principles of torque and buoyancy as they apply to physical therapy.
Becky Gediminskas, a former intensive care unit nurse, nursing instructor at Westmoreland County Community College and Norwin school board member, started the class by asking questions and explaining various factors that can increase blood pressure, such as age, exercise, stress, African-American ancestry, gender (men have higher blood pressure as a rule), medication or caffeine, obesity, medical conditions, whether it is day or night 