Medical Terminology
EMS Program
University of Wisconsin Hospital and
Clinics
Paramedic Training Division
Medical Terminology
The Language of medicine
To effectively communicate:
Those who
work in medicine must speak and
understand the same language
There are three potential parts of a medical term
Prefix
Root word
Suffix
Tonsil + itis
root
suffix
= Tonsillitis
med term
Root Words
Often refers to an anatomical part
Conveys the essential meaning
Gastr/o
Pneum/o
Mening/o
Cyst/o
Edem
Neur/o
Alveol/o
Ov
Nephr/o
Hemo
Hepat/o
Ocul/o
Chole
Pyret/o
Examples of Root-Root words
Sternoclavicular
Musculoskeletal
Genitourinary
when 2 root words or a root-suffix are
added, sometimes a combining vowel will be
added to make it easier to speak
Prefixes…
are never used alone
add a quantifier, color or a position
to a word.
Brady-cardia
Tachy-cardia
Apnea
Bilateral
Ambidextrous
Common Prefixes
above
supra
infra
cost
chole
rib
Bad, painful, difficult
inside
sub
cyst
dys
endo
olig
Beneath, under
gallbladder
scanty/small amount
urinary/bladder/sac of fluid
sometimes a prefix is also a root!
clear as mud~
Suffixes…
found at the end of the word to
alter the meaning of the word
describes a condition/diagnosis/disorder/procedure
Hematotoxic
Important suffixes
otomy
to remove
ectomy
the study of
ology
pain
itis
surgical incision
ostomy
to create an opening
centesis
Inflammation of
odyn/o
break down/separation
lysis
surgical perforation/puncture
More important suffixes…..
to repair
algia
pain
emia
plasty
rrhea
osis or ia
a condition
blood condition
drainage
And even more suffixes…
pathy
weakness
paresis
urination
rrhagia
disease
uria
esthesia
pnea
oma
tumor
breathing
nervous sensation
bursting forth
Combining Vowel
use when joining….
root to root
(gastrohepatitis)
OR
root to a suffix that begins with a consonant
(cardiomegaly)
Easy & straightforward….right???
Ot/o
Aur/o
Auricul/o
osis
ic
ia
Opthalm/o
Optic/o
Opt/o
Peri
Ambi
per
circum
The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
Pericardiocentesis
The aspiration of fluid from the
pericardium (sac of fluid) around theheart
The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
combining vowel
root word (x2)
prefix
Suffix
Costochondritis
Inflammation of the ribs/cartilage
The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
Lithotripsy
Endocarditis
Antipyretic
Substernal
Periorbital
Supraventricular tachycardia
paronychia
Common medical terms
Idiopathic
Hypoglycemia
Rales
Status epilepticus
Iatrogenic
Stridor
Hyperglycemia
Syncope
Aphasia
Anatomical Planes and Positions
Anatomical Planes
imaginery straight line divisions
of the body
Frontal or Coronal plane
divides anterior (ventral)
and posterior (dorsal) (#1)
Sagittal Plane
runs vertically through the
body (#2)
Transverse or horizontal
plane divides superior and
inferior (#3)
Anatomical Position
Standing up with the
feet and hands facing
the examiner
Always refer to the patient’s
left or right, not yours
Body Positions
or
internal rotation
or
external rotation
Abbreviations
Use only approved abbreviations to avoid
confusion
Be mindful of capitalized & lower case letters
Abbreviations can cause legal nightmares
Remember the purpose of documentation
The mother called because the child
woke up coughing and appears to have
difficulty breathing.
4 yo child found sitting in a tripod position. Alert, follows commands,skin warm, dry & pink.
RR 12,able to appreciate intermittent episodes of stridor with deep barky cough.
No intercostal or substernal retractions noted.
Medical Slang….we have it too 
Hi5
FLB
FLK
PID shuffle
Donut of Death
CKS
Banana bag
Acute Pneumoencephalopathy
Gassers