Medical Terminology Basics

Medical Terminology

• Word roots: The main part of a medical word that provides the basic meaning
• Prefixes: Letters or words added to the beginning of a word root to modify its meaning
• Suffixes: Letters or words added to the end of a word root to modify its meaning
• Combining forms: A combination of a word root and a prefix or suffix to create a new word

Medical Abbreviations

• General rules:
  • Abbreviations are usually written in uppercase letters
  • Periods are not used in medical abbreviations
  • Abbreviations are often used to save time and space when writing medical notes or prescriptions
• Common medical abbreviations:
  • BP: Blood Pressure
  • HR: Heart Rate
  • Rx: Prescription
  • Tx: Treatment
  • Dx: Diagnosis
  • Hx: History
  • Sx: Symptoms
  • Wt: Weight
  • Ht: Height
  • BMI: Body Mass Index
• Anatomical abbreviations:
  • Abd: Abdomen
  • Crn: Cranium
  • Ext: Extremity
  • Gen: Genital
  • Resp: Respiratory
  • Thor: Thoracic
• Directional abbreviations:
  • R: Right
  • L: Left
  • U: Upper
  • L: Lower
  • Ant: Anterior
  • Post: Posterior

Medical Terminology Examples

• Cardiovascular system:
  • Cardi-: Heart
  • Vas-: Vessel
  • Angi-: Blood vessel Example: Cardiologist (heart specialist)
• Nervous system:
  • Neuro-: Nerve
  • Cerebr-: Brain
  • Spinal-: Spine Example: Neurologist (nerve specialist)
• Respiratory system:
  • Pulmon-: Lung
  • Respir-: Breathing Example: Pulmonologist (lung specialist)

Tips for Learning Medical Terminology

• Break down words: Divide words into their roots, prefixes, and suffixes to understand their meaning
• Learn common roots and prefixes: Focus on the most common roots and prefixes to build a strong foundation
• Practice, practice, practice: Practice using medical terminology in sentences to improve your understanding and retention

Medical Terminology Basics

• A word root provides the basic meaning of a medical word
• A prefix is added to the beginning of a word root to modify its meaning
• A suffix is added to the end of a word root to modify its meaning
• A combining form is a combination of a word root and a prefix or suffix

Medical Abbreviations

General Rules

• Medical abbreviations are usually written in uppercase letters
• Periods are not used in medical abbreviations
• Abbreviations save time and space when writing medical notes or prescriptions

Common Medical Abbreviations

• BP: Blood Pressure
• HR: Heart Rate
• Rx: Prescription
• Tx: Treatment
• Dx: Diagnosis
• Hx: History
• Sx: Symptoms
• Wt: Weight
• Ht: Height
• BMI: Body Mass Index

Anatomical Abbreviations

• Abd: Abdomen
• Crn: Cranium
• Ext: Extremity
• Gen: Genital
• Resp: Respiratory
• Thor: Thoracic

Directional Abbreviations

• R: Right
• L: Left
• U: Upper
• L: Lower
• Ant: Anterior
• Post: Posterior

Medical Terminology Examples

Cardiovascular System

• Cardi-: Heart
• Vas-: Vessel
• Angi-: Blood vessel
• Example: Cardiologist (heart specialist)

Nervous System

• Neuro-: Nerve
• Cerebr-: Brain
• Spinal-: Spine
• Example: Neurologist (nerve specialist)

Respiratory System

• Pulmon-: Lung
• Respir-: Breathing
• Example: Pulmonologist (lung specialist)

Tips for Learning Medical Terminology

• Break down words: Divide words into roots, prefixes, and suffixes to understand their meaning
• Learn common roots and prefixes: Focus on the most common roots and prefixes to build a strong foundation
• Practice, practice, practice: Practice using medical terminology in sentences to improve understanding and retention

Learn the fundamentals of medical terminology, including word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms. Understand general rules for medical abbreviations.