Health Care Terminology
The Creation of medical terms
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Origin of health care terminology
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Scientist turned to Greeks
and Roman physicians
such as Hippocrates and
borrowed terms.
Hippocrates was the first
physician to use the
words: Asthma, diarrhea,
and epilepsy.
Hippocrates is known as
the________________.
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Root Word
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Root Word
“Cardio”
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The root word is the
main part of the
word. This is the
subject of the word
you are going to
build.
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Prefix
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The prefix is a word
element added to the
beginning of a word
root.
The prefix is added to
the root word to change
the meaning or make it
more specific.
The prefix “peri” means
around.
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Prefix
“Peri”
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Suffix
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The suffix is an
element added to the
end of the word root.
It changes or adds to
the meaning of the
root.
The suffix “itis”
means inflammation.
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Suffix
“itis”
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Putting it all together
Prefix
Root word
Suffix
“Peri”
“Cardio”
“itis”
Around
Heart
Inflammation
“Inflammation around the heart”
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Combining word elements
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The combing vowel makes it possible to
combine several word roots.
It also makes the word easier to pronounce.
When all the word elements are combined
the word Pericarditis
Peri/card/itis, it means Inflammation around
the heart
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Combining word elements
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Combing vowel is usually an o, for example,
oste means “bone”, and the o is the combing
vowel
The o can be added to join a word root with
another word root or a suffix
Sometimes an I, y, or u is used.
Combing vowels make it easier to pronounce
the term.
For example, osteomyelitis is easier to
pronounce than ostemyelitis.
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Combining word elements
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When a suffix begins with one of the
vowels (a,e,I,o,u), the o on the root
word is not used.
Since oste/o ends in o and the suffix –
itis begins with a vowel, the o is
dropped.
The word is osteitis, which means
“inflammation of the bone.
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Combining word elements
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The combining vowel is placed between
root words, for example osteoporosis
(oste/o/por/osis).
Pronounce the word with the combining
vowel, and you can tell that it is easier
to say than osteporosis.
After you learn the roots, prefixes, and
suffixes, you can combine many word
parts to form medical terminology.
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Practice Scenario
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Suppose you are not feeling well and find
yourself sitting in a doctor's office. After
examining you, the doctor writes something
in your file and leaves the room.
You take a peek in your file and find that they
wrote “hematuria " as your diagnosis. What
is wrong with you?
Hemat means _____ and uria means ______.
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Application
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Aden/o/pathy
Hepat/o/rrhagia
Poly/arthr/itis
Hyster/ectomy
Hyster/o/salping/ectomy
Oste/o/por/osis
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Transcribing Review
Mr. Locklear came to the ER DOA. The
ambulance workers also brought in his wife
who was having chest pain. The M.D.
thought she was having a MI. The RN drew
a CBC, Na, and Bun. She was put on BR.
They took her B/P and it was 170/100. The
PA decided to send her to the CCU. She was
NPO this pm. Prior to being adm the LPN
started an IV in her lf arm. The NA also put
in an ng tube. There was not room in CCU or
ICU so she had to be adm to med surg.
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References
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NCDPI
Health Careers Science Exploration
Textbook
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