Medical Terminology Lecture Notes PDF

Medical Terminology Dr. Omar Thanoon LEC 1 Medical Terminology Medical terminology is a specialized language used by health care practitioners Course objective: - Define common medical terms - Relates common medical terms to...

Medical Terminology Dr. Omar Thanoon LEC 1 Medical Terminology Medical terminology is a specialized language used by health care practitioners Course objective: - Define common medical terms - Relates common medical terms to:. human anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. common disease state , categories and diagnostic tests. - Identify the medical terminology in medical record reports. 1  Medical Terminology There are 2 major categories of medical terms : 1. Descriptive – describing shape , color, size ,function, etc,. Exp: Hypertension 2. Eponyms, literally “putting a name upon”, has been used to honor those who first : - discovered or described an anatomical structure or - diagnosed a disease or - developed a medical instrument or procedure. Exp: - Fallopian tubes uterine tubes: by Gabrioello Fallopio - Eustachian tubes auditory tubes by Bartolommeo Eustachian Medical terms are always part of the language that includes them, but mostly they have Latin or Greek roots. Medical Terminology Elements Medical terms consist of: Prefix: is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word Exp.: Hypotension Word root: the main part or foundation of a word; all medical words have at least one word root. Exp.: Hypotension A combining form (CF): is created when a word root is combined with a vowel. This vowel is usually an “O”. Exp: Gastro, Dento Suffix: is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word Exp: Osteoarthritis 2  Prefix Substituting one prefix for another prefix changes the meaning of the word. A prefix usually indicates a: - number, time, - position, size or - negation. Many prefixes found in medical terminology also are found in the English language. A prefix that stands alone is followed by a hyphen (Small dash). In the term: macro/cyte macro- is a prefix meaning large; A macrocyte: is a large cell, -cyte is a suffix meaning cell. hyperglycemia (“high blood sugar”) and hypoglycemia (“low blood sugar”) name conditions that are exact opposites. Prefix Learning prefix meanings as parts of common words has two distinct advantages over learning them as parts of medical terms: - The first is that you will learn the meaning of each prefix as part of a word you already know or have probably at least heard. - The second is that you will not be prematurely exposed to medical term roots that are best learned in connection with anatomic systems, all of which are subjects of subsequent lectures. 3  Prefix Categories of Prefixes: prefixes of time or speed prefixes of direction prefixes of position prefixes of size or number prefixes of negation 1 Prefix Prefixes of time or speed Prefix Refers to Example Meaning ante-, pre- Before Prehypertension Before Hypertension (Borderline) brady- abnormally slow rate of Bradycardia Abnormal slow heart speed beats neo- New Neonate Newborn post- After Post-surgery After surgery tachy- rapid, abnormally high Tachypnea Abnormal rapid rate of speed breathing 4 2 Prefix Prefixes of direction Prefix Refers to Example Meaning ab- away from, outside Abnormal Not normal of, beyond ad- toward, near to adhere Stick to Anti- Against Antibiotic Against infectious diseases con-, sym-, With Connective Together syn- Sympathetic compassionate Synthesis combining of separate elements into a complete whole contra- Against Contraindicated Against the indication (inadvisable to prescribe ) dia- across, through Diagnosis process of identifying a disease through its symptoms 3 Prefix Prefixes of position Prefix Refers to Example Meaning ec- Outside Eczema inflammatory skin disease (Outside skin) ecto- Outside Ectoderm Outside skin en- Inside Endocardia Membrane that lines the heart endo- Within epi- upon, subsequent to Epigastric On or over stomach ex- Outside Extension Expansion/Enlargement exo- Outside Exophthalmia Outside the eye extra- Beyond Extracellular Outside the cell hyper- above, beyond normal Hypertension Abnormal high blood pressure hypo- below, below normal Hypotension Abnormal low blood pressure 5  Prefix Prefixes of position Prefix Refers to Example Meaning infra- inside or below Infrared Below the visible red end of the spectrum inter- Between Interact act on each other intra- Inside/within Intracellular Within the cell meso- Middle Mesoderm Middle cell layer meta- Beyond Metastasis spreading (of a disease to another part of the body) para- alongside, like Parathyroid Small secretory glands located alongside the thyroid gland peri- Around Pericardia membranous sac surrounding the heart retro- backward, behind Retronasal behind the nose 4 Prefix Prefixes of size or number Prefix Refers to Example Meaning bi- Two Biceps Muscle with 2 origins hemi-, semi- Half Semisolid, hemiplegia Half solid macro- Big Macromolecule Big molecule micro- Small Microorganisms Small organisms mono- One Monosaccharide One sugar molecule olig-, oligo- a few Oliguria Small production of urine pan- all or everywhere Pancytopenia Abnormal deficiency in all blood cells quadri- Four Quadriplegia Paralysis of all four limbs tri- Three Triceps Muscle with 3 origins uni- One Unilateral One Side 6 5 Prefix Prefixes of negation Prefix Example A- Aseptic An- Anemia Im- Immature In- Inactive 2 Medical Terminology Elements Suffix Suffix: is a word element located at the end of a word.. Substituting one suffix for another suffix changes the meaning of the word.. In medical terminology, a suffix usually indicates a - procedure, condition, - disease, or part of speech.. A suffix that stands alone is preceded by a hyphen (-). Play, read, and speak are complete words and also roots. Add the suffix - er (meaning one who) to each root to modify its meaning. 7  Suffixes Categories of Suffixes suffixes that signify medical conditions suffixes that signify diagnostic terms, test information, or surgical procedures suffixes associated with a medical specialty or specialist suffixes that convert a noun to an adjective 1 Suffixes Suffixes that signify medical conditions Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -algia Pain Neuralgia Pain of the nerves -cele protrusion, hernia Cystocele Bladder Hernia -ectasis, expansion or dilation Bronchiectasis Expansion of the large bronchial -ectasia tubes -emia Blood Anemia decrease in the amount of the RBCs -iasis presence of; formation of Nephrolithiasis Formation of stones in the kidney -itis Inflammation Osteoarthritis Inflammation of the joints and the bone -malacia Softening Osteo-malacia Softening of the bone 8 1 Suffixes suffixes that signify medical conditions Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -megaly Enlargement Hepatomegaly Enlargement of the liver -oma Tumor Osteoma Tumor of the bone cells -osis Condition Hypnosis Induce sleep -penia reduction of size or Osteopenia Decrease bone density quantity -plasia abnormal formation Dysplasia Abnormal tissue formation -plegia Paralysis Hemiplegia paralysis affecting one side of the body -porosis Decrease in density Osteoporosis Decrease bone density 1 Suffixes Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -ptosis downward displacement Gastroptosis abnormal downward displacement of the stomach -rrhage flowing forth hemorrhage Bleeding -rrhea Discharge Diarrhea Flow of watery stool -rrhexis Rupture Myorrhexis Rapture of the muscle -spasm Muscular contraction Anti-spasm Relaxing -pnea Breath, respiration Bradypnea Abnormal slow breathing 9 2 Suffixes Suffixes that signify diagnostic terms, test information, or surgical procedures Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -centesis surgical puncture Arthrocentesis Puncture of a joint -desis surgical binding Arthrodesis Binding of joint -ectomy surgical removal Thyroidectomy Surgical removal of the thyroid gland -gen, -genic, -genesis origin, producing Neurogenic Originating in a nerve -gram written or pictorial record Electrocardiogram graphic record of electrical pulses given off by the heart -graph device for graphic or Electrocardiograph machine that records pictorial recording electrical pulses by the heart 2 Suffixes Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -graphy act of graphic or pictorial recording Electrocardiography The method of recording the heart activity by means of an electrocardiograph -meter device for measuring Oximeter device for measuring the amount of oxygen -metry act of measuring Audiometry Measuring of the hearing -pexy surgical fixation Gastropexy Surgical fixation of a stomach -plasty surgical repair Rhinoplasty plastic surgery of the nose 10 2 Suffixes Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -rrhaphy Suture Neurorrhaphy Surgical repair of a nerve -scope device for Stethoscope instrument used to listen to viewing/hearing sounds produced in the body -scopy act of viewing Endoscopy use of a stethoscope to listen to sounds produced within the body -tomy Incision Gastrotomy stomach surgery -tripsy Crushing Lithotripsy Crushing of a stone 3 Suffixes Suffixes Associated with a Medical Specialty or Specialist Ordinary English speakers use the terms technician and technologist interchangeably, but engineers, noting the -ian and -ist suffixes, observe distinctions between them. Those working in the health sciences observe similar distinctions. For example, consider the terms psychologist and psychiatrist. A psychologist is a person who has a Ph.D. in psychology, and A psychiatrist is a person who has an M.D. with a specialty in psychiatry. The two terms are, therefore, not interchangeable even though both begin with psych and end with ist. 11 3 Suffixes The following suffixes occur in terms naming the study or practice of a medical specialty: Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -ist One who specializes Pharmacist Person who dispenses medications in -ian One who specializes Physician Doctor in -iatrist one who treats or a Psychiatrist Medical specialist in the treatment and physician diagnosis of mental disorders -logist One who studies Pharmacologist Person has a specialty in Pharmacology -logy The study of Pharmacology Science dealing with the uses and effects of medications 3 Suffixes The following suffixes occur in terms naming the study or practice of a medical specialty: Suffix Refers to Example Meaning -ics Knowledge/Practice Dietetic Knowledge and practice of foods and diet -iatry Medical treatment Psychiatry branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses -iatrics Healing Pediatrics Branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of infants and children 12 4 Suffixes Suffixes That Denote Adjectives In creating adjectives, you will sometimes change noun terms that name specialties. For example, psychiatry and pediatrics are the names of specialties. Dropping the y from psychiatry and adding the adjective suffix -ic converts the specialty name to an adjective: psychiatry medicine psychiatric hospital Plural suffixes When a singular word ends in: Singular ending Add/ Change to (pleural) Example -y i and add -es deformity deformities -a -e (add) Pleura pleurae -um -a (change) Bacterium Bacteria 13  Diminutive suffixes Indicating small size (such as "booklet", etc.); Suffix Example Meaning -icle Particle Small part (particle) -ole Arteriole Small artery -ula Macula Very small area at the center of the retina -ule venule Small vein Word Building 14  Word Building Three Rules of Word Building Rule 1: A word root links a suffix that begins with a vowel. Rule 2: A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant. Rule 3: A combining form (root + o) links a root to another root to form a compound word. (This rule holds true even if the next root begins with a vowel.) Rule 1 Rule 1: A word root links a suffix that begins with a vowel. e.g. leuk -emia becomes Leukemia cephal -algia becomes Cephalalgia gastr -itis becomes - Gastritis append -ectomy becomes Appendectomy 15  Rule 2 Rule 2: A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant. e.g. Gastr -scope becomes Gastr/o/scope Men -rrhea becomes Men/o/rrhea Angi -rrhexis becomes Angi/oUreter/o/lith /rrhexis Ureter -lith becomes Rule 3 Rule 3: A combining form (root + o) links a root to another root to form a compound word. (This rule holds true even if the next root begins with a vowel.) e.g. oste + chondr + -itis becomes Oste/o/chondr/itis oste + chondr + -oma becomes Oste/o/chondr/oma oste + arthr + -itis becomes Oste/o/arthr/itis gastr + enter + -itis becomes Gastr/o/enter/itis 16 Medical Terminology Word Root Word Root 17