Medical Terminology
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Introduction Chapter 1
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• Identify the roles of the four types of word parts used in forming medical terms
• use knowledge of word parts to analyze unfamiliar medical terms
• describe the steps in locating a term in a medical dictionary
• define the commonly used word roots, combining forms, suffixes and prefixes
• recognize the importance of spelling medical terms correctly
• state why caution is important when using abbreviations
Objectives
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• Word Root: the word part that usually indicates the part of the body involved.
• Combining Form: a word root that has a vowel added to the end.
• Suffix: the word part attached at the end of a word that usually indicates the procedure, condition, disorder or disease.
• Prefix: the word part attached at the beginning of a word that usually indicates location, time, number, or status.
Introduction
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o -algia pain or painful condition
o dys- bad, difficult or painful
o -ectomy surgical removal
o hyper- excessive or increased
o hypo- deficient or decreased
o -itis inflammation
o -osis abnormal condition or disease
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o -ostomy the surgical creation of an artificial opening
o -plasty surgical repair
o -rrhage bleeding or abnormal excessive fluid discharge
o -rrhaphy surgical suturing
o -rrhea flow, abnormal discharge
o -rrhexis rupture
o -sclerosis abnormal hardening
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• Word root: contains the basic meaning of the term
• Combining form: used when a suffix beginning with a consonant is added
• Suffix: comes at the end of a word (usually indicates the procedure, condition, disorder or disease)
• Prefix: comes at the beginning of a word (usually indicates the location, time, number, or status)
The four types of word parts:
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• A word root cannot stand alone. A suffix must always be added at the end of the word to complete the term
• the rules for creating a combining form by adding a vowel apply when a suffix, beginning with a consonant is added to a word root
Word Part Guidelines
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• cyan/o: blue• erythr/o: red• leuk/o: white• melan/o: black• poli/o: gray
Word parts indicating color
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• When to word words are joined a combining vowel is always added between the two word roots
• a combining vowel is used with the second word root only if the suffix begins with a consonant
• a combining form is used when a suffix begins with a consonant
• a combining form is not used when the suffix begins with a vowel
Rules for using combining forms
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• -a• -e• -um• -us• -y
Suffixes is as noun endings
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• -ac• -al• -an• -ar• -ary• -eal• -ical• -ial• -ic• -ine
• -ior• -ory• -ous• -tic
Suffixes meaning pertaining to
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• -ago• -esis• -ia• -iasis• -ion• -ism• -osis
Suffixes meaning abnormal condition
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• -algia = pain and suffering• -dynia = pain• -itis = inflammation• -megaly = enlargement• -malacia = abnormal softening• -necrosis = tissue death• -sclerosis = abnormal hardening• -stenosis = abnormal narrowing
Suffixes related to pathology
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• -centesis = a surgical puncture to remove fluid• -graphy = the process of producing a picture or
record• -gram = a picture or record• -plasty = surgical repair• -scopy = visual examination
Suffixes is related to procedures
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• -rrhage and -rrhagia = bleeding (usually to describe sudden severe bleeding)
NOTE: --rrhage = abnormal excessive fluid loss or discharge• -rrhaphy = surgical suturing to close a wound• -rrhea = flow or discharge (usually pertaining to
most body fluids)• -rrhexis = rupture
The "Double R" suffixes
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• Added to the beginning of a word to influence the meaning of the term
• usually indicates location, time or number
Prefixes
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Prefixes describing direction, quantity, size
and amount
ab- away from, negative, absent
ad- toward, to in the direction of
dext/ro = right side sinistr/o = left side
ex- out of, outside, away from
in- in, into, not without
macro- large, abnormal size, or long
Micr/o, micro = tiny, small (microscopic)
mega, megal/o- large, great
olig/o = scanty, few
pre - before post- after, behind
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Contrasting prefixesab- away from (absent)
ad- toward, in the direction of
dys- bad, difficult, painful
eu- good, normal, well, or easy
hyper- increased, excessive
hypo- decreased, deficient
inter- between or among (interstate)
intra- within or inside
sub- under, less, or below
super-, supra- above or excessive
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Guideline Singular Plural
If the singular term ends in the suffix -a, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending to -ae
bursavertebra
bursaevertebrae
If the singular term ends in the suffix-ex or -ix, the plural is usually formed by changing these endings to -ices
appendixindex
appendicesindices
If the singular term ends in the suffix -is, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending to -es
diagnosismetasis
diagnosesmetastases
It's a singular term ends in the suffix --itis, the plural is usually formed by changing the -is ending to -ides
arthritismeningitis
arthritidesmeningitides
If the singular term ends in the suffix -nx, the plural is usually formed by changing the -x ending to-ges
phalanxmeninx
phalangesmeninges
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Guideline Singular Plural
If the singular term ends in the suffix –on, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending to -a
criterionganglion
criteriaganglia
If the singular term ends in the suffix –um, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending to - a
diverticulumovum
diverticulaova
If the singular term ends in the suffix –us, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending to -i
alveolusmalleolus
alveolimalleoli
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A sign is objective evidence of disease. Objective mean the sign can be evaluated or measured by the patient and/or others
A symptom is subjective evidence of a disease. Subjective means that it can be evaluated a measured only by the person experiencing it.
A syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a specific disease process.
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A diagnosis (DX) is the identification of a disease.
A differential diagnosis (D/DX), also known as rule out (R/O) is the attempt to determine which one of several diseases could be causing the signs and symptoms that the patient is presenting with
A syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a prognosis is a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disorderspecific disease process.
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An acute condition has a rapid onset, a severe course, and a short duration
A chronic condition is of a long-duration. These diseases and disorders and can be controlled, but are rarely cured
A remission is the temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms associated with a disease without having achieved a cure
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A disease is a condition in which one or more body parts are not functioning normally. Some are named for their signs and symptoms.
An eponym is a disease, structure, operation or procedure named after the person who discovered or described it first.
An acronym is a word formed from the initial letter of the major parts of a compound term
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –ectomy?
Surgical removal
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –megaly?
enlargement
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –algia?
Pain or suffering
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –hyper?
Excessive, increased
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –hypo?
Deficient, decreased
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of –itis?
Inflammation
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of necrosis?
Tissue death
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of -ostomy?
The surgical creation of an artificial opening
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of -otomy?
Surgical incision, cutting
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of -scopy?
Visual examination
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of melan/o?
Black
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of leuko/o?
White
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of erythr/o?
Red
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Test your knowledge
What is the meaning of poli/o?
Gray
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