MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES

Prepared by : S. Tolentino, RN
 OBJECTIVE
• This lesson aims to : Explain the concept that medical terminology can be broken down into
component parts of prefixes, root words and suffixes;
• State the meanings of commonly used prefixes, suffixes and root words in medical terms;
• Decipher terminology associated with various diseases;
• Recognize commonly used abbreviations and medical symbols;
PREFIXES
 PREFIXES

• Letters that are added to the beginning of a

word
• To make a new meaning
 PREFIXES
• A-, an- > without, not, absent (amenorrhea , anemia)
• Ab > away from (absorb, abduction)
• Amb , ambi > both, on two sides (ambidextrous, ambivalent)
• Auto > self (autoimmune)
• Bi > two, double (bilateral)
• Brady > slow (bradycardia, bradypnea)
• Dys > bad, painful, difficult (dysphagia, dyspareunia, dyspepsia)
• Epi > above, upon (epigastric, epidermis)
• Hemi > half, partly (hemisphere, hemiplegia)
• Hyper > excessive (hyperventilation, hyperacidity)
• Hypo > under, below (hypoxemia, hypovolemia) PREFIXES
• Inter > between (intercourse, intercostal)
• Intra > within (intraocular, intradermal)
• Macro > large (macrophage)
• Micro > small ( micronutrient, microscope)
• Neo > new (neoplasma)
• Para > near, beside, around ( parathyroid)
• Peri > around (periorbital, pericardium)
 PREFIXES

• Poly > many (polycystic)

• Post > after, behind ( postoperation, postmortem)
• Pre > before (premature, preeclampsia)
• Tachy > rapid (tachypnea, tachycardia)
ROOTS
 ROOTS

•Contains the basic meaning of the

word
 ROOTS
• abdomen/ o - abdomen
• Aden/ o – gland
• Adid/ o - fat
• Adren / o – adrenal glands
• Angi / o – vessel (usually blood or lymph
• Arteri / o – artery
• Arth / o – joint
• Blephar / o – eyelid
• Bronchi / o – bronchus
 ROOTS
• Calc / o – calcium
• Carcin / o – cancer
• Cardi / o - heart
• Cephal / - head
• Cerebr / o – cerebrum (brain)
• Chol / e – bile, gall
• Cholecyst / o – gallbladder
• Choledoch / o – bile, duct
• Chondr / o – cartilage
 ROOTS
• Col / o – colon
• Cost / o – ribs
• Crani / o – cranium
• Cutane / o – skin
• Cyan / o – blue
• Cyst / o – bladder
• Dent / o – teeth
• Dermat / o – skin
• Dipl / o – double
 ROOTS
• Electr / o – electric
• Encephal / o – brain
• Enter / o – intestine (usually the small intestine)
• Erythr / o – red
• Esophag / o – esophagus
• Femor / o – femur (thigh bone)
• Gastr / o – stomach
• Gingiv / o – gum
• Gluc / o – sugar, glucose
 ROOTS
• Glyc / o – sugar, glucose
• Gynec / o – woman, female
• Hemangi / o – blood-vessel
• Hemat / o – blood
• Hepat / o – liver
• Hydr / o - water
• Hyster / o – uterus
• Irid / o – iris
 ROOTS
• Lapar / o – abdomen
• Laryng / o – larynx (voice box)
• Leuk / o – white
• Lingu / o – tongue
• Lip / o – fat
• Lith / o – stone, calculus
• Lumb / o – lower back
 ROOTS
• Lymphagi / o – lymph vessels
• Lymph / o – lymph
• Mamm / o – breast
• Mast / o – breast
• Megal / o –enlargement
• Melan / o – black
• Mening / o – meninges
• Men / o – menses, menstruation
• Muc / o – mucus ROOTS
• Myel / o – spinal cord, bone marrow
• My / o – muscle
• Myring / o – tympanic membrane (eardrum)
• Nas / o – nose
• Necr / o – death
• Nephr / o – kidney
• Neur / o – nerve
 ROOTS

• Noct / o – night
• Odont / o – teeth
• Oophor / o – ovary
• Ophthalm / o – eye
• Orchi / o – testis
• Os / o – mouth
 ROOTS

•Oste / o – bone
•Pancreat / o – pancreas
•Pelv / I /o – pelvis
•Pharyng / o – pharynx (throat)
•Phleb / o – vein
 ROOTS
• Pleur / o – pleura
• Pneum / o – lung, air
• Proct / o – anus, rectum
• Pyel / o – renal, pelvis
• Radi / o – xrays, radiation
• Ren / o – kidney
• Retin / o – retina
 ROOTS
• Rhin / o – nose
• Salping / o – fallopian tube
• Scler / o – hardening, sclera (white of the eye)
• Sigmoid / o – sigmoid colon
• Spermat / o – sperm
• Spin / o – spine
• Spondyl / o – vertebra (backbone)
 ROOTS
• Stern / o – sternum (breastbone)
• Stomat / o – mouth
• Tend / o – tendon
• Therm / o – heat
• Thorac / o – chest
• Thromb / o – blood clot
• Thyr / o – thyroid gland
 ROOTS
• Toxic / o – poison
• Trache / o – trachea
• Tympan / o – tympanic membrane (eardrum)
• Ureter / o – ureter
• Urethr / o – urethra
• Ur / o – urine
• Uter / o – uterus
 ROOTS

• Vagin / o – vagina
• Vascul / o – blood vessel
• Vas / o – vas deferens, vessel
• Vertricul / o – ventricle (of brain or heart)
• Vesic / o – bladder
• Vertebr / o – vertebra (backbone)
 SUFFIXES

•Words that are placed at the end of

the root
•Change the meaning of the word
 SUFFIXES

• Ectasis > dilation, stretching (Atelectasis)

• Ectomy> excision, removal of (appendectomy)
• Emia> Blood condition (Ischemia - inadequate blood supply to an
organ or part of the body)
• Genesis> Development, Production (Gametogenesis)
• Genic> Producing, causing (Pathogenic)
• Gram> Record (Partogram)
 SUFFIXES CONT..
• Graph> Diagram, Recording instrument (Partograph)
• Iasis> Condition of (Psoriasis)
• Ism> Condition (Hypo/Hyperthyroidism)
• Itis> Inflammation (Mastitis, Parotitis,Otitis)
• Logy> Study of (Biology)
• Lysis> Destruction of, Decomposition (Dialysis)
• Megaly> Enlargement (hepatomegaly)
• Meter> Measuring Instrument (Pantometer)
• Oma> Tumor (Carcinoma)
 SUFFIXES CONT…
• Osis> Condition (Narcosis)
• Pathy> Disease (Myopathy)
• Penia> Lack, Deficiency (Leukopenia)
• Phasia> Speaking (Aphasia)
• Phobia> An exaggerated fear (Acrophobia)
• Plasty> Surgical Repair or Reshaping (Rhinoplasty)
• Plegia> Paralysis (Paraplegia)
• Ptosis> Falling, Sagging, Dropping (Blepharoptosis)
• Rrhage> Excessive Flow (Hemorrhage)
 SUFFIXES CONT…

• Rrhaphy> Stitching, Suturing (Herniorraphy)

• Rrhea> Profuse Flow, Discharge (Rinoirrhea)
• Stasis> Maintenance (Homoestasis)
• Stomy/Ostomy > Creation of an opening (Colostomy)
• Tomy/Otomy> Incision, Cutting into (Appendectomy)
• Uria> Condition of the urine (Hematuria)
ABBREVIATION
S
 ABBREVIATIONS

•Shortened forms of words

or phrases
 ABBREVIATIONS IN MEDICATIONS

• ROUTE -tsp
IM -tbsp.
ID
SC NGT
IV OGT
SL OJT
PO
 MEDS
• FREQUENCY/INTERVAL Mid noc
OD Noc, noct
BID STAT
TID PRN
QID QD
Q QH
Q4H, Q6H, Q8H DC, D/C
PRN
AC
PC
 ABBREVIATIONS IN DIAGNOSTICS
• UA,U/A • FBS
• FA, F/A • UTZ
• CBC • ECG
oRBC • EEG,EKG
oWBC • MRI
oHCT • XRAY
oHGB • CT SCAN
 ABBREVIATIONS IN VITAL SIGNS
• TPR • Wt
• IO,I/O o Lb
• BP, B/P o Kg
• PR o Oz
• HR •Temp
• CR -F
• Resp -C
• Ht
o
 ABBREVIATIONS IN ANATOMICAL
POSITIONS
•LLQ •GU
•LUQ •GI
•RLQ •R
•RUQ •L
•ABD •TY
•AX
 ABBREVIATIONS IN DISEASE(DSE)
• HPN • TIA
• DM • STD
• CHF • AIDS
• COPD • HIV
• UGIB • UTI
• LGIB • IRI
• NIDDM • CHD
• IDDM • CA
• MI • CVA
 ABBREVIATIONS IN SIGNS
&SYMPTOMS(SX)
• SOB
*DOB
• N&V
• IICP
• IOCP
 MEDICAL
• Dx
• Tx/Rx
• c/o
• C with line above
• S with line above
• Ss with line above
 IN THE HOSPITAL
• CCU • RN
• ICU • NA
• RR • PAR
• OB • PHARMA
• OR • LAB
• PEDS • IC
• PRE OP • CQI
• POST OP • MD