Medical Terminology: Foundations

• This lecture aims to provide a foundational understanding of medical terminology.
• This course will enable effective communication within healthcare settings.
• This includes the study of word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviations..
• The course aims to develop the skills to interpret, use, and apply medical language accurately.
• Contexts include clinical, administrative, and academic settings.
• This aims to enhance comprehension of medical documentation.
• This aims to facilitate professional communication and support further studies in healthcare-related fields.

Lecture Competencies

• Understand basic word structure.
• Pronounce and spell medical terms correctly.
• Comprehend medical abbreviations and acronyms.
• Apply medical terminology to body systems.
• Interpret diagnostic, procedural, and pharmacological terms.
• Utilize medical terminology in clinical and administrative settings.
• Recognize and use medical terminology in context.
• Enhance professional communication in healthcare.

Definition of Medical Terminology

• Medical terminology constitutes the specialized language for healthcare professionals.
• It ensures accurate communication for medical conditions, treatments, procedures, and anatomy.
• The history has ancient Greek and Latin roots evolving to modern healthcare usage.
• Learning common prefixes, suffixes, and word roots allows the ability to combine hundreds of medical terms.

The Anatomical Position

• The standard anatomical position is standing upright facing forward
• The head faces forward.
• The mouth is closed with a neutral facial expression.
• The arms are straight, with hands held by the hips and palms facing forward.
• The feet are together and parallel with toes pointing forward.

Regions of the Human Body

• Axial and appendicular regions of the human body are studied.

Axial Regions:

• The head surrounds the brain and includes the face.
• The neck is the constriction following the head.
• The trunk includes:
• The thorax, its wall surrounds the heart and the lungs.
• The abdomen, separated from the thorax by the diaphragm.
• The pelvis, the lower part of the trunk.

Appendicular Regions

• The upper limb hangs at the sides of the thorax, including the shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand.
• The lower limb includes the glute , thigh, leg, and foot.

Anatomical Terms

• Anatomical terms are used to describe the relations of different structures and organs to each other.
• Median/midline structures lie at the midline of the body, like the nose, sternum, and vertebrae.
• Medial structures are close to the midline.
• Lateral structures are away from the midline.
• Anterior structures lie near the front of the body.
• E.g., towards the abdomen.
• The mnemonic "“A” comes before “P" can be used to remember Anterior = Front, Posterior = Back
• Posterior structures lie away from the front of the body.
• E.g., toward the back or dorsum.
• Superior structures are upper or toward the upper part like the skull.
• Inferior structures are lower or toward the lower part like the floor.
• Superficial refers to external structures closer to the body surface, like hair.
• Deep refers to internal structures away from the body surface, like bones.
• The anterior surface of the hand is palmar; its posterior surface is dorsal (used for the hand).
• The surface of the foot that lies on the ground is plantar, and the surface directed upwards is dorsal (used for the foot).
• Proximal and distal describe the limbs and their structures relative to the trunk.
• Structures close to the trunk are proximal and structures away from the trunk are distal.
• E.g., the shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the wrist is distal to the elbow.
• The supine position is when the body is lying on the back with the face directed upward.
• The prone position is when the body is lying on the face with the face directed downward.

Cavities of the Human Body:

• The abdominal cavity is the largest where the upper and lower parts are called the abdominal and pelvic cavities respectively.
• The thoracic cavity is separated from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm.
• The cranial cavity is the cavity of the skull containing the brain.

This lecture provides a foundational understanding of medical terminology for effective communication within healthcare settings. It includes the study of word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviations. Develop skills to interpret, use, and apply medical language accurately in clinical, administrative, and academic settings.