Diagnostic, Therapeutic & Surgical Terms
Build on Suffixes
Teresa England-Lewis
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
DUTY J- Medical Terminology
Science
Math
3.3.10.A Explain the structural and functional
similarities and differences found among
living things
N/A
RWLS
1.1.11.C Use knowledge of root words and words
from literary works to recognize and
understand the meaning of new words
during reading. Use these words accurately
in speaking and writing
Social
Studies
8.1.12.B Synthesize and evaluate historic sources
ASCEW
13.2.11.A Apply effective speaking and listening skills
used in a job interview
Lesson 3.1 Objectives
1. Write the meanings of the word parts and use
them to build and analyze terms.
2. Match suffixes pertaining to diagnosis with their
meanings or write their meanings.
3. Identify the procedures used during a physical
examination.
4. Recognize several types of diagnostic imaging
procedures.
Fundamental Terms
 Description
 Signs
 Symptoms
 Etiology
 Diagnosis
 Treatment
 Prognosis
Make your own mnemonic
DSSEDTP-
Description
 General Overview
of the
 disease
 condition
Signs
 Observable
 Measurable
Signs
 The professional
uses the senses
Examples of Signs
 Perspiration
 Noisy breathing
 Irregular pulse
 Malodorous breath
 Pyrexia
Name some signs
 ______________________
 ______________________
 ______________________
 ______________________
Symptoms
 Client experiences these
 No visible signs
 Communicated
 verbally
 non-verbally
Examples of Symptoms
 Nausea
 Pain
 Dizziness
Name some symptoms
 _____________________
 _____________________
 _____________________
 _____________________
S & S Suffixes
 -algia
 -ectasia
 -itis
 -edema
 -emesis
pain
dilation
inflammation
swelling
vomiting
Examples
 dentalgia
 dermatitis
 osteomalacia
http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/mesh_info.php?term=Osteomalacia&lang=1
Build a term with
 _______________ -algia
 _______________ -itis
 _______________ -malacia
S & S suffixes
 -malacia
softening
 -megaly
enlargement
 -oid
resembling
 -penia
deficiency
-RHH suffixes
 -rrhagia
excessive bleeding
 -rrhea
flow or discharge
 -rrhexis
rupture
http://www.trauma.org/index.php/main/keyword/C13/spleen
Examples
 Cardiomegaly
 Hepatorrhagia
 Otorrhea
 Splenorrhexis
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/exam-3-patho-photos/deck/1338009
Other suffixes
 -spasm
 Cramp or twitch
 -stasis
 Stop or control
http://hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/dermnet/dermatitisstasis7.html
Quick Quiz!
 Which 5 suffixes about diagnosis can stand
alone as terms themselves?
A. spasm, rrhexis, penia, megaly, edema
B. rrhexis, megaly, edema, stasis, penia
C. spasm, stasis, malacia, emesis, edema
D. malacia, spasm, penia, megaly, malacia
Build a term with
 _______________ -megaly
 _______________ -rrhagia
 _______________ -rrhea
 _______________ -rrhexis
Diagnosis
 Determining exact disease or condition
 dia-
through
 gnos/o knowledge
 -is
noun suffix
Diagnostic Tests
 Include
 Physical Examinations
 Clinical studies
 Laboratory tests
 Radiologic studies
Diagnostic suffixes
 -gram
record or chart
 -graph
machine that records
 -graphy
process of recording
 -scope
instrument to look
 -scopy
process of looking
Examples
 Sonogram
 Tomograph
 Cardiography
 Otoscope
 Endoscopy
Term Analysis
 nephromegaly
 blepharedema
 electrocardiogram, electrocardiograph,
electrocardiography
 nephroscope, nephroscopy
Electrocardiography
From Bonewit-West K: Clinical procedures for medical assistants,ed 7, Philadelphia, 2008, Saunders.
Build a word using
 __________________ -gram
 __________________ -graph
 __________________ -graphy
 __________________ -scope
 __________________ -scopy
Term Analysis
 rhinorrhea
 enterospasm
 osteopenia
 gastrodynia
 neuralgia, laryngalgia
Diagnostic combining forms
 ech/o
reflected sound
 electr/o
electric
 fluor/o
emitting light
 radi/o
x-ray
 tom/o
cut
Examples
 echocardiogram
 electroencephalograph
 fluoroscopy
 radiography
 tomogram
From Phipps WJ, Monahan FD, Sands JK, Marek JF, Neighbors M: Medical-surgical nursing,ed 8, St Louis, 2007, Mosby.
Diagnostic Terms
 catheter- instrument
 catheterization- process (n.)
 catheterize-action (v.)
 cannula
catheterization
The Physical Examination
 ambulant
 ambulatory
 ambulation
 3 vital signs
 respirations
 pulse
 body temperature
The Physical Examination
Techniques of Physical Examination
 inspection
 auscultation
 percussion
 palpation
A and B, From Seidel HM, Ball JW, Dains JE, Benedict GW: Mosby’s guide to physical examination,ed 5, St Louis, 2003,
Mosby.C From Seidel HM, Ball JW, Dains JE, Benedict GW: Mosby’s guide to physical examination,ed 6, St Louis, 2006,
Mosby.
Quick Quiz!
 What does ECG stand for?
A. echocardioging
B. electroencephalography
C. electrocardiogram
D. echoscopy
Diagnostic Imaging
Modalities
 “plain film”
 contrast imaging
 sonography
 fluoroscopy
From Frank ED, Long BW, and Smith BJ: Merrill’s atlas of radiographic positioning and radiologic procedures,ed 11, St Louis,
2007, Mosby.
Ultrasound
Diagnostic Imaging Modalities (cont.)
 CT
 nuclear medicine
 MRI
 positron emission tomography (PET)
A, Courtesy Siemens; B From Seeley RS, Stephens TD, Tate P: Anatomy and physiology, ed 3, St Louis, 1995, Mosby.
From Ballinger PW, Frank ED: Merrill’s atlas of radiographic positions and radiologic procedures,ed 10, St Louis, 2003,
Mosby.
A Courtesy of Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc., Twinsburg, Ohio. ; B Courtesy of Professor A. Jackson, Department of
Diagnostic Radiology, University of Manchester.; C, Courtesy Siemens.
PET scan
/
https://rmcmed.com/2013/05/15/pet-scan-misleading
Build a word using
 Ech/o ____________________
 Electr/o ___________________
 Fluor/o ___________________
 Radi/o ____________________
 Tom/o ____________________
Assessment Question
 What are the differences
between
-gram, -graph, and -graphy?
Etiology
Pinpointing the reason or why
eti/o cause
log/o study
-y
process of
Assignments
 Complete Chapter 3 pages 46-65
 Practice all exercises on CD especially
pronunciation
 Study notes for Test on _________
Lesson 3.2
LEARNING GOALS
5. Recognize several combining forms associated
6.
7.
8.
9.
with therapy, and write the meanings of
therapeutic terms or match them with their
meanings.
Match suffixes pertaining to surgical procedures
with their meanings or write their meanings.
Recognize combining forms for selected body
structures in terms.
Spell medical terms accurately.
Write the meaning of the abbreviations.
Treatment
 Can be medical

Can be surgical
Word Parts of Treatment
Combining Forms





algesi(o)
chem(o)
esthesi(o)
narc(o)
pharmac(o), pharmaceut(i)
Meaning
sensitivity to pain
chemical
feeling or sensation
stupor
drugs or medicine
Word Parts of Treatment
Word Part
Meaning
 therapeut(o)
 tox(o), toxic(o)
treatment
poison
Suffix
 -therapy
treatment
Surgical suffixes
 -centesis
surgical puncture
 -pexy
surgical fixation
 -plasty
surgical repair
 -rrhaphy
surgical suturing
 -tripsy
surgical crushing
From Gruber RP, Peck GC: Rhinoplasty: state of the art,St Louis, 1993, Mosby.
Word Analysis
 anesthetic vs. analgesic
 anesthesia, neuromuscular
 pharmaceutical versus pharmacotherapy
 narcotic
Know the Differences!
 sign vs. symptom
 diagnosis vs. prognosis
 incision vs. excision
Know the Differences!
 -gram vs. -graph vs. -graphy
 -rrhage vs. -rrhea vs. -rrhexis
 -tome vs. -tomy
 -tomy vs. -stomy
Examples
Abdominocentesis
Hysteropexy
Otoplasty
Lithotripsy
Build a word using
 ________________ -centesis
 ________________ -pexy
 ________________ -plasty
 ________________ -tripsy
Quick Quiz!
 Which suffix means “suture”?
A. -pexy
B. -lysis
C. -plasty
D. -rrhaphy
Tom/o means To Cut
 ecto-
out
 -y
process of
 -e
instrument
 os
hole
TOM/O suffixes
 -ectomy
process of cutting out
 -stomy
process of cutting a hole
 -tome
cutting instrument
 -tomy
process of cutting into
-EC / TOM / Y
 process of cutting out
 Synonyms
 excise (verb)
 excision (noun)
 removal of
-S / TOM / Y
 Process of cutting a hole
 Synonyms
 make a new opening
into
TOM / E
 Cutting instrument
TOM / Y
 Process of cutting into
 Synonyms
 incise (verb)
 incision (noun)
Combining Forms: Selected Body
Structures
 tonsil(o)
 aden(o)
 append(o) and appendic(o)
 blephar(o)
tonsils
gland
appendix
eyelid
Combining Forms-Selected Body Structures
 cerebr(o), encephal(o)
 chir(o)
 col/o and colon/o
 cutane(o), dermat(o)
 mamm(o) and mast(o)
brain
hand
colon or large intestine
skin
breast
Combining Forms: Selected Body Structures
 cerebr(o), encephal(o)
 chir(o)
 col/o and colon/o
 cutane(o), dermat(o)
 mamm(o) and mast(o)
brain
hand
colon or large intestine
skin
breast
Combining Forms: Selected Body Structures
 cerebr(o), encephal(o)
 chir(o)
 col/o and colon/o
 cutane(o), dermat(o)
 mamm(o) and mast(o)
brain
hand
colon or large intestine
skin
breast
Term Analysis
 colonoscope, coloscope
 blepharoplasty
 osteotome
 encephalotome
 mammoplasty
Examples
 Tonsillectomy
 Gastrostomy
 Dermatome
 Craniotomy
Build a term that means
 Removal of the appendix
 Surgical hole in the colon
 Incision in the trachea
 Surgical repair of the nose
Catheter (G)
 To let or send down
Carr, H. A. (2000). "A short history of the Foley catheter: from handmade instrument to infection-prevention device." J Endourol 14(1): 5-8.
3000 BC
2000 BC
1000 BC
0
1000 AD
1300 AD
1400 AD
1500 AD
1600 AD
1700 AD
1800 AD
1900 AD
3000 BC
 Egyptians used
 Metal-gold
John Gaddesden
http://medicalhistoryandart.com/contents.php?view=7
1700s
 Ben Franklin
 invented flexible catheter
1935-37
 Dr. Frederic Foley
1970s
 Dr. Jack Lapides
 Intermittent catheterization
Quick Quiz!
 What does angioplasty mean?
A. suture of a vessel
B. plastic surgery on vessels
C. surgical fixation of a vessel
D. plastic surgery on a gland
Assignments
 Complete Chapter 3 pages 65- 70
 Practice all exercises on CD
 Study notes for Test on _________