NURSING ONE

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

Why Do I Need to Learn Medical Terminology?

Language of the medical field Communication Write and speak concisely Bonus: Improve English skills, test

scores, look really smart when watching TV medical shows

Terminology

Vocabulary Used in health care medical terms ,

originate from Latin & Greek

ACRONYMWords formed by combining letters of a

word or phrase.Mash – Mobile Army Surgical HospitalAids – Acquired Immunodeficiency

Syndrome

Terminology (cont’d)

EPONYM Word based on name of personParkinson’s diseaseKaposi’s SarcomaSulk Vaccine

Medical Elements

300 Latin & Greek word elements Thousands of medical terms are made

up of these elements Learning word elements & adding to

medical terms starts to increase your English vocabulary.

Medical terminology is not a foreign language

Parts of Words

Medical terms Has 2 or three parts; prefix, root,

suffixPREFIX – at beginning of word (*not

all medical terms have a prefix)ROOT – The word’s foundation. (all

medical terms have at least one root- can begin a word)

SUFFIX–The word’s ending. (Most have a suffix)

Parts (cont’d)

A combining vowel (usually o) joins a root to another root or to a suffix. Is combining form

Example: Thermometer Therm. = heat Meter = measuring device

Additional examples combining forms; Hepat –o oste – o neur - o

Parts (cont’d)

Prefix, root, suffix – used in combinations Two, three, suffix + connecting vowels Example: Electrocardiogram – a record Suffix = gram – a recording Root = electr – electrical activity Root = cardi - heart ( o,s) are the connecting vowel

Prefixes

Every word has a root and an ending, but not every word has a prefix

Prefix is always at the beginning of a word

The meaning of the prefix always stays the same

Prefixes are attached to words to express numbers, measurements, position, negative, colors

Parts

Root - core of word Prefix- can change the meaning of root Prefix - explains root Example: epigastric – on the stomach hypogastric – below the stomach

Numbers

bi – two, double bicuspidhemi – half hemiplegicmilli – 1/1000 millilitermono – one, single monocyteprimi – first primigravidasemi – half semiconscioustri – three tricepsuni – one uninuclear

Measurements

hyper – excessive hypertensionmulti – many multiparapoly – many polyarthritis

hypo – less hypoglycemic

Position and/or Direction

a – without apneaab – from, away from abductad – toward, increase adductambi – both, both sides ambidextrousan – without analgesicante – before, in front anteroomcircum – around circumoral

Position (cont’d)

de – down, from descenddia – through diagnosisecto – outside ectopicendo – within, endotheliumepi – upon, over epigastricex – out, away from extractextra – outside of, beyondextrahepatic

Position (cont’d)

para – near, beside paracervicalperi - around perinealpre – in front of before pre-operativepost – after post operativeretro – backward, behind retroflexionsub – under, below sublingualsupra – above, over suprapubictrans – across, through transverse

Color

alb – white albuminrube – red rubellacyano – blue cyanosismelano – black melanomaxanth – yellow xanthrochromic

Negatives & other Common Prefixes

anti – against antibioticcontra – against contraindicateddis – free of, to undo dischargeim – not impotence non – not non-invasive auto - self autograft

Common Prefix (cont’d)

hyper – excessive hypertensionpan – all pancytopenia per – through percussionpseudo – false pseudoanorexiasym, syn – joined, together sympathetictachy – rapid, fast tachycardiaultra – beyond, excess ultrasound

Common Root Terms

cardi --- heart fibr --- fibrous tissue gastr --- stomach my ---- muscle mast ------ breast myel – marrow or

spinal cord hepat --- liver enter -- intestine oste ----- bone col ----- colon neur ----- nerve chole --- gall or bile arthr ----- joint

Suffix

Suffix : will clarify will make a new word

will change the meaning of the root Example: Tonsillitis – inflammation of tonsils Tonsillectomy – removal of tonsils

Common Suffix

porosis ----- porous condition cyte --------- cell ectomy ------ surgical removal algia -------- pain -------- dynia megaly ----- enlargement logy --------- study of itis ------------ inflammation oma --------- tumor

Common Suffix

scope -------- device for viewing scopy -------- act of viewing sclerosis ------ hardness stenosis ------ narrowed, blocked lith ------------ stone, calculus iasis ----------- indicating a condition ic -------------- pertaining to tripsy --------- crushing

Medical Terminology

Gastrectomy Hepatic Hepatocarcinoma Neuropathy Neurofibroma Neurogastric Osteoporosis Osteomyelitis

Medical Terminology

Cholecystectomy Cholelithiasis Cholecystitis Cardiomyopathy Osteoarthritis

Military TimeMeridian time Military time12 Midnight 2400 hours1 am 0100 hours 2 am 0200 hours3 am 0300 hours4 am 0400 hours5 am 0500 hours6 am 0600 hours

Time (cont’d)

7 am 0700 hours8 am 0800 hours9 am 0900 hours10 am 1000 hours11 am 1100 hours12 noon 1200 hours1 pm 1300 hours2 pm 1400 hours3 pm 1500 hours

Time (cont’d)

4 pm 1600 hours5 pm 1700 hours6 pm 1800 hours7 pm 1900 hours8 pm 2000 hours9 pm 2100 hours10 pm 2200 hours11 pm 2300 hours12 midnight 2400 hours

Frequent Symbols

b.i.d. twice a day t.i.d. three times a day

q.i.d. four times a daymin. minuteh. or hr. hourqh every hourq2h every two hoursq3h every three hoursq4h every four hours

Frequency (cont’d)

q 6h every 6 hoursq 8h every 8 hoursq 12h every 12 hoursa beforep afterc withs withoutq everyNPO nothing by mouth

Symbols

Change Number, followed by a number, pounds #Divided by /Multiplied by, magnification xEquals =

Greater than >Less than <

Symbols (cont’d)

gtt droptab. tabletcap. capsulehs hour of sleepsusp. suspensionsupp. suppository

Frequent symbols

a.c. Before mealp.c. after meal ad.lib. as desiredp.r.n. when necessaryh.s. hour of sleep, at bedtimestat. immediately, as soon as

possibleDaily every dayQD (not safe) every day QOD (not safe)every other day

Common Medical Abbre. Route

IM IntramuscularIV IntravenousIVPB Intravenous PiggybackSC/SQ SubcutaneousSL SublingualID IntradermalGT Gastrostomy tubeNG Nasogastric tubepo By mouth

JCAHO [do not use abb.]

Abbreviation Intended PreferredU units “units”ug micrograms “mcg”QD every day “daily”QOD every other day every other day

AS.AD.AU Left, right, both ears write left ear etc

OS, OD, OU left, right, both eyes write left eye etc.

JCAHO – Joint commission on accreditation of Health Care Organizations

JCAHO (cont’d)

IU International unit “write”5.0 mg. Trailing zero No zero

after decimal point write

5 mg..5 leading zero Always a

zero before a decimal point, write 0.5 mg.MS Morphine Sulfate “write”MS04 Morphine Sulfate “write”mGs04 Magnesium Sulfate “write”