Med Terms Principles of Health Science Dr Smith

Med Terms Principles of Health Science

Dr. Smith enters the nurse’s station and begins to dictate notes that say Mrs. Jones needs to have an exploratory laparotomy, but he suspects he will end up doing a bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Before the surgery he wants a CXR, EKG, CBC and ABG done, stat. You suddenly feel thankful that Ms. Garza spent so much time teaching you medical terminology.

Prefixes – usually indicate location, time, or number and come at the beginning of a word Suffixes – usually indicate the procedure, disease, or condition and come after the root word Root Words – usually indicate the part of the body involved

Combining Vowel 1. usually “o” 2. attached to the root word 3. makes medical terms easier to pronounce 4. is NOT used a when suffix begins with a vowel 5. IS used when suffix begins with a consonant

• Prefix + Root Word + Suffix = Medical Term • Poly + neur/o + itis = POLYNEURITIS • many + nerves + inflammation = inflammation of many nerves

Common Medical Prefixes • a-, an- negative, without • ab- away from • ad- towards • anti- against • ante- before

• bi- two, both • brachy- short • brady- slow • dys- painful, difficult • dors- back

• endo- inside • epi- above, upon • hemi- half • hyper- excessive, above, more than • hypo- decrease, below, less

• inter- between, among • intra- within, inside • macro- large, big • micro- small • mal- bad

• neo- new • para- beside or below • peri- around • poly- many

• post- after • sub- below • super- above • supra- above • tachy- fast

• dextr/o- right side • sinistr/o- left side • olig/o- few or scanty • eu- good, normal, well or easy

Common Medical Suffixes • -algia- painful • -asthenia –weakness • -cele –hernia • -centesis -surgical puncture • -ectomy -removal

• -itis -inflammation/infection • -gram –picture • -malacia -abnormal softening • -megaly- enlargement • -necrosis -death of tissue • -plegia -paralysis

• -ology -study of • -ostomy -surgical opening • -otomy -surgical incision • -rrhea- flow

• -pathy –disease • -plasty -surgical repair • -rrhaphy –suture • -sclerosis -abnormal hardening • -scope -instrument to view

• -rrhage -abnormal bleeding • -rrhexis -rupture • -graphy –process of recording • -stenosis -narrowing

• -al -pertaining to • -ous -pertaining to • -ical -pertaining to • -ac -pertaining to • -ic - pertaining to

• -iasis -abnormal condition • -esis -abnormal condition • -ago - abnormal condition • -osis -abnormal condition

Common Medical Root Words • acro –extremities • angi/o –vessel • arthr/o- joint • cardi/o –heart • cerebr/o –brain • chrondr/o- cartilage

• cyte -cell • gastr/o- stomach • hepat- liver • lapar -abdomen • latero- side • mamm/o- breast

• medial- middle • my/o –muscle • cost/o –ribs • nephr/o -kidney • oophor –ovary • ot/o -ear

• pneum/o -lung/air • rhino -nose • tend/o -tendon • trachi -trachea (wind pipe) • thorac -chest

• salpingo -fallopian tube • procto -rectum • oste/o -bone • neur/o -nerve • nas/o -nose

• myel/o -spinal cord/bone marrow • mast/o –breast • lip/o- fat • laryng - throat • hyster/o -uterus

• hemo/hemat- blood • enter/o -small intestines • cyst/o -sac/bladder • col/o -large intestines/colon • cervi/c -neck

• carp -wrist • brachi -arm • arteri/o -artery • aden -gland

• tonsill - tonsils • lith – stone • appendic- appendix • myc/o- fungus

• pyel/o- renal pelvis (part of kidney) • py/o – pus • pyr/o- fever

• cyan/o -blue • eryth/o –red • leuk/o - white • melan/o – black • poli/o - gray