UNIT 1
Introduction
Grading
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“A grade is an inadequate report of an
inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable
judge of the extent to which a student has
attained an undefined level of mastery of an
unknown proportion of an indefinite amount of
material.”
[Gardiner, Lion F., Redesigning Higher Education.
Ashe-Eric Higher Education Report Vol.23, No. 7
George Washington University, (67).]
Frame Exams
You must score 80% or above on the unit
examinations.
 If you do not score 80% you can take the
exam over in the allotted exam time. The exam
time will not be extended.
 If you take the exam over, your score for the
unit will be weighted using the following
formula:

Weighting Formula

(2 x first exam score) + (second exam score) /3

(2x 60) + (100) /3 = 73

(2x 85) + (75) /3 = 82
Testing Tips
Take the tests in a WSU testing center on
ChiTester
 You must present a photo ID to receive an
examination.
 Make sure your audio is working properly
before starting the exam.
 You can only review the questions you missed
immediately after you complete the exam.


“The exams weren’t fair. If we missed one
letter it was wrong. There should be some sort
of way to recognize this and give a little. She
was not willing to give at all, even when it was
only one letter. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Report says health care errors cause more
deaths than highway accidents.
 As many as 98,00 Americans die unnecessarily
every year from medical mistakes made by
physicians, pharmacists and other health care
professionals, according to an independent
report released Monday that calls for a major
overhaul of how the nation addresses medical
errors.” The Washington Post

Root Cause Analysis: A Case Study
Elderly patient with blood clot in artery of leg
 Heparin ordered at 200 units/hour
 RN caregiver scheduled to attend meeting.
Arranged coverage with 2nd RN…student RN
also assigned to care team.
 2nd RN called to another room…student starts
heparin at 200 cc/hr.

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Researchers found a rate of 11 drug-related
harmful events for every 100 hospitalized
children.
That compares with an earlier estimate of 2 per
100 hospitalized children, based on traditional
detection methods.
“These data and the Dennis Quaid episode are
telling us that..experiencing harm…is more
common than people believe.” Homer, National
Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality 2008
Study hints
Arrive on time for every class.
 Study ( at least briefly) after each class.
 Limit study sessions to no more than ½ hour to
45 minutes.
 Rephrase concepts
 If it’s your style, study in groups.

Study hints
Make up your own tests
 Don’t rely on drugs such as caffeine.
 Use a special study spot.
 Study for final from day one.
 Take it easy the day before the test.

Student Advice
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“My best advice is to make sure and do your
frames faithfully, then follow up with flash cards. It
takes a lot of time but it is very well worth the
effort come midterms and finals.”
“Make note cards because they will save your life!
Do the reviews at the end of each section.”
Make sure you do your flash cards”
Student Advice
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
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“The index cards are helpful for a good review
before testing and for the midterm and the final.”
“If you make flash cards you will do very well in this
class.”
“Do your frames, make flash cards and listen to the
CDs and you will be fine.”
Elements used to form words
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Word Root
Combining Vowel
Combining form
Prefix
Suffix
Word Root
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Basic core of any word

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Hepat-o-tome
Gastr-o-tome
Arthr-o-tome
Combining vowel

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O- most commonly used
A,e,i,u, y – occasionally used
Therm-o-meter, micr-o-film, phon-o-graph
Combining Form
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Combining vowel with word root
Word Root + Combining Vowel = Combining form

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Speed- o
Therm- o
Arthr- o
=
=
=
Speedo
Thermo
Arthro
Prefix

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Syllable placed before word or word root to alter its
meaning or create a new word.
 Micr-o-cyte
 Micr:
prefix
 O:
combining vowel
 Cyte:
word root
 Macr-o-cyte
Syllable added at the end of a root or combining form
to change the meaning of the root.
Suffix

Hepat-o-tome, Gastr-o-tome, Arthr-o-tome
Pronunciation
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Ch------- K - chromatin; sometimes chronic
Ps-------- S - psychiatry , psychology
C &G---- Soft s & j before e,i,y - cytoplasm, generic
C &G---- Harsh - cardiac, gastric
I at the end  eye - alveoli, glomeruli
Noun Suffix
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-esis: condition

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-ia
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pod/iatry: medical specialty treating feet
-ist: specialist
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hyper/thyroidism: overactivity of thyroid gland
-iatry: medicine
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pneumon/ia: infection of lung
-ism
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di/ur/esis: abnormal secretion of large amounts of urine
dermat/o/log/ist: skin doctor
-y: condition

neur/o/path/y: disease of nerves
Diminutive Suffix
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-icle: small, minute, little

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-ole
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ventr/icle: small cavity in brain or heart
arteri/ole: minute artery
-ule

ven/ule: tiny vein
Adjective Suffix
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-ac: pertaining to

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-al
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pulmon/ary: pertaining to lungs
-eal
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muscul/ar: pertaining to muscle
-ary
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umbilic/al: pertaining to navel
-ar
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cardi/ac: pertaining to heart
esophag/eal: pertaining to esophagus
-ic

hepat/ic: pertaining to liver
Adjective Suffix (cont’d)

-ical: pertaining to

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-ile
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anter/ior: pertaining to front
-ous

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pen/ile: pertaining to penis
-ior

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neur/o/log/ical: pertaining to (-ic & -al) study of nerves
cutane/ous: pertaining to skin
-tic

acous/tic: pertaining to hearing
Plural Suffixes (Spelling Words)

Sarcoma-sarcomata
Retain the ma and add ta

Thrombus-thrombi
Drop us and add i

Appendix-appendices
Drop ix and add ices

Diverticulum-diverticuli
Drop um and add a
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Ovary-ovaries
Drop y and add ies
Plural Suffixes (Spelling Words)(cont’d)

Diagnosis-diagnoses
Drop is and add es
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Lumen-lumina
Drop en and add ina
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Vertebra-vertebrae
Retain the a and add e
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Thorax-thoraces
Drop the x and add es
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Spermatozoon-spermatozoa
Drop on and add a
Common Suffixes
-CENTESIS
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Suffix - Surgical puncture
Arthr/o/centesis - surgical puncture of a joint
-CLAST
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Suffix - Surgical puncture
Arthr/o/centesis - surgical puncture of a joint
-DESIS
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Suffix - binding, fixation ( of a bone or joint)
Arthr/o/desis - fixation of joint
-ECTOMY
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Suffix - excision, removal
Append/ectomy - surgical removal of the appendix
-LYSIS
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Suffix - separation;destruction;loosening
Thromb/o/lysis - clot dissolving
-PEXY
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Suffix - fixation (of an organ)
Mast/o/pexy - performed to affix sagging breasts
-PLASTY
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Suffix-plasty - surgical repair
Rhinoplasty - surgical repair of the nose
-RRHAPHY
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Suffix - suture
My/o/rrhaphy - muscle suturing
-STOMY
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Forming a new opening (mouth)
Trache/o/stomy - form a new opening in trachea to
bypass obstructed upper airway
-TOME
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Suffix - instrument to cut
Oste/o/tome - bone cutter
-TOMY
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Suffix - incision
Trache/o/tomy - incision into trachea
-GRAM
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Suffix - record, writing
Electr/o/cardi/o/gram - electrical recording of
heart
-GRAPH
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Suffix - instrument for recording
Cardi/o/graph - machine that records
electrocardiograms
-GRAPHY
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Suffix - process of recording
Angi/o/graphy - process of recording a picture of
the blood vessels
-METER
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Suffix - instrument for measuring
Pelv/i/meter - instrument for measuring pelvis
-METRY
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Suffix - act of measuring
Pelv/i/metry - process of measuring pelvis
-SCOPE
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Suffix - instrument for examining
Broncho/scope - instrument for looking at bronchus
-SCOPY
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Suffix - Visual examination
Broncho/scopy - process of examining bronchus
Pathological Suffixes
-ALGIA, -DYNIA
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Pathological Suffix - pain
Neur/algia - nerve pain
-CELE
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Pathological suffix - hernia, swelling
Hepat/o/cele - hernia of the liver
-ECTASIS
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Pathological Suffix - dilation, expansion
Bronchi/ectasis - dilation of bronchi (plural
bronchus)
-EDEMA
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Pathological suffix - swelling
Lymph/edema - swelling of lymph nodes
-EMESIS
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Pathological suffix - vomiting
Hyper/emesis - above normal vomiting
-EMIA
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Pathological suffix - blood condition
An/emia - without blood (low red blood cell count)
-IASIS
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Pathological suffix - abnormal condition
Chol/e/lith/iasis - disease produced by gall stones
-ITIS
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Pathological suffix - inflammation
Gastr/it is - inflammation of the stomach
-LITH
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Pathological suffix - stone, calculus
Chol/e/lith - gall stone
-MALACIA
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Pathological suffix - softening
Chondr/o/malacia - cartilage softening
-MEGALY
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Pathological suffix - enlargement
Cardi/o/megaly - heart enlargement
-OMA
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Pathological suffix - tumor
Neur/oma - nerve tumor
-OSIS
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Pathological suffix - abnormal condition
Cyan/osis - blue condition
-PATHY
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Pathological suffix - disease
My/o/pathy - disease of the muscle
-PENIA
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Pathological suffix - decrease, deficiency
Leuk/o/cyt/o/penia - decrease in white cells
-PHOBIA
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Pathological suffix - fear
Hem/o/phobia - fear of blood
-PLEGIA
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Pathological suffix - paralysis
Hemi/plegia - one half paralyzed
-RRHAGE, -RRHAGIA
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Pathological suffix - bursting (of)
Hem/o/rrhage - blood bursting or bleeding
-RRHEA
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Pathological suffix - discharge, flow
Dia/rrhea - discharge or flowing of fecal material
-RRHEXIS
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Pathological suffix - rupture
Arteri/o/rrhexis - rupture of artery
-STENOSIS
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Pathological suffix - narrowing, stricture
Arteri/o/stenosis - narrowing of artery
-TOXIC
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Pathological suffix - poison
Hepat/o/toxic - Substance is poisonous to the liver
-TROPHY
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Pathological suffix - development, nourishment
Dys/trophy - bad or abnormal development
Common Prefixes
A-, AN
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Without, not
A-before a consonant - a/mastia-without a breast
An- before a vowel - an/esthesia- without feeling
CIRCUM-, PERI
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Around
Circum/cision - cutting around
Peri/odont/al - pertaining to area around teeth
DIA-, TRANS
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Through, across
Dia/rrhea – discharge or flowing of fecal material
Trans/vagina/al- pertaining to something through
the vagina
DIPL-, DIPLO
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
Double or 2
Diplopia - double vision
Diplo/bacteri/al - pertaining to bacteria in pairs
ENDO-, INTRA
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In, within
Endo/crine - Gland that secretes directly into the
blood stream
Intra/muscul/ar - In the muscle
HOMO-, HOMEO


Same
Homo/graft - graft from the patient to their own
body- also called allograft
Homeostasis - Maintaining equilibrium
HYPO

Under, below, deficient
Hypodermic - Pertaining to under the skin
MACRO-, MICRO
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Large, small
Macrocyte - large cell
Microcyte - small cell
MONO-, UNI
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One
Monocyte - cell with one nucleus
Uni/nucle/ar - pertaining to a single nucleus
POST-, PRE


After, before
Post/nat/al - pertaining to time after birth
Pre/nat/al - pertaining to time before birth
PRIMI

First
Primi/gravida - first pregnancy
RETRO

Backward, behind
Retroversion - turn backwards
SUPER

Upper, above
Super/ior - pertaining to top or upper