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