And if education is always to be conceived
along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of
knowledge,
there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of our future.
For what is the use of transmitting knowledge
if the individual's total development lags behind?
Maria Montessori
(August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952)
Montessori was the first female Italian physician in the modern era.
SUR 110
Week 3
Medical Terminology
Medical Terminology
CONCEPTS:
Root word –the basic unit of a medical
term
Prefix-a part that is added before the root
word to modify the meaning of the root word
Suffix-a part that is added after the root word
to modify the meaning of the root word
A root word can have a prefix or a suffix or
both
Concepts continued
The majority of roots are not words by
themselves as we have come to think of
words
Most medical roots come from the Latin
and Greek languages
Depending on the area of study, roots’
meanings may vary
Compound words have more than one
root (example: cardiothoracic and
gastrointestinal)
Body Structure Terms
Lateral vs. Medial
Ipsilateral vs. Contralateral
Anterior vs. Posterior
Superior vs. Inferior
Proximal vs. Distal
Superficial (external) vs. Deep (internal)
R vs. L right verses left
B
bilateral
Division Planes
1.
Frontal (coronal)
1.
divides the body into anterior
and posterior (belly and
back) sections
2. Sagittal:
dividing the body into left and
right portions
Midsaggital
Parasaggital
3. Horizontal (transverse)
divides the body into top and
bottom halves
Body Position Terms
Anatomic position: standing upright, face
and toes forward, with arms at the side
and palms out
Supine-lying down face up
Prone-lying on stomach, face down
Lateral-lying on side/can be right or left
Body Position Terms
Trendelenburg – patient supine; the body
is at a slant with the head below the heart.
(test answer – head down, feet up)
Reverse Trendelenburg - patient supine;
the body is at a slant with the head above
the heart. (test answer – head up, feet
down)
Roots for Head and Neck
Blepharo
Cervico
Cranio
Dent
Opthalm
Ot
Rhino
Tracheo
eyelid
neck
skull
tooth
eye
ear
nose
throat
Roots for Extremities
Arthro
Brachio
Pedo
Pod
joint
arm
foot
foot
Roots for Abdomen
Abdomino
abdomen
Chole
gall
Cholecyst gall/bladder
Col
colon
Colpo
vagina
Cysto
urinary bladder
Hepato
liver
Hystero
uterus
Laparo
abdominal wall
Nephro
Oophor
Orchio
Salpingo
Ureter
Urethra
kidney
ovary
testicle
fallopian tube
tube from kidney
tube from bladder
Roots for Chest and Back
Cardi
Lamin
Lumbo
Mast
Pneumo
Thoraco
heart
posterior vertebral arch
lower back
breast
lung
chest
Other Body Term Roots
Adeno
Derma
Digit
Hema/hemo/hemato
Lumen
vessel/tube
Os
Phleb
Vas
gland
skin
finger or toe
blood
opening in
opening/mouth
vein
vessel/duct
Roots for Disease
Carcino
Cysto
Lith
Onco
Patho
Sclero
cancer
bladder & fluid filled sac
stone
tumor
disease
hardening
Additional Terms Related to
Disease
Acute-a suddenly occurring illness with a
short course and probable cure
Chronic-a long term illness generally with
no cure
Etiology- study of the “cause” of disease
Nosocomial- infection that came from
being in the hospital (nos=disease and
comial=hospital)
Trauma-a physical injury
Signs of Disease Terms
Abcess-pus collection at an area of
infection
Adhesion-two joined surfaces that are
normally separated
Ascites- Fluid in the abdominal cavity
Cellulitis-tissue inflammation
Effusion-fluid in a cavity
Fissure-a split, crack, or groove
Fistula-abnormal passageway between
two surfaces
Signs of Disease Terms
continued
Cyanosis-blue color from no oxygen
Gangrene-tissue death occurring from lack
of blood supply
Lesion-an area of tissue that is damaged
Pallor-pale or without color
Polyp- a tumor attached by a stalk
Purulent-with pus
Prolapse-a protrusion of an organ
Prolapsed uterus
Diagnostic Terms
Biopsy-taking a tissue sample for examination
Diagnosis-process of finding the cause of illness
or the cause of illness
Endoscope (endo=interior or inside
scope=instrument use for viewing)
Excision-to cut out
(-ectomy)
Febrile-have a fever
Incision-to cut into
(-otomy)
Suture-to sew together parts
Endoscopes
(May be flexible or rigid)
Endoscopes:
Arthroscope
Bronchoscope
Colonoscope
Cystoscope
Esophagoscope
Esophago-gastroduodenoscope
Hysteroscope
Laparoscope
Laryngoscope
Nephroscope
Proctoscope
Sigmoidoscope
Ureteroscope
Treatment and Surgical Terms
Catheter- a tube used to remove fluid or other
objects from the body.
Drain-a tube that allows fluid to pass from a
wound. Can be passive or active.
Tube – used to remove fluid or gas from the
body for the purpose of decompression.
Lavage- to irrigate or wash out
Cautery-destroying tissue with heat, cold,
electricity, or chemicals
Treatment and Surgical Terms
Laser- piece of equipment that converts
light to heat for surgical treatments
Resection-removal of a part not the whole
Stapling-joining tissue by metal/alloy
staples
Abbreviations
ā
aa
AAA (triple A)
aneurysm
abd
dressing
AKA
A-P
A-P and Lat
AV
before
of each
abdominal aortic
abdomen/type of
above knee amputation
anteroposterior
anteroposterior & lateral
arteriovenous
Abbreviations continued
BKA
BPH
bx.
c
cc
CA
CHF
CVA
below knee amputation
benign prostate hypertrophy
Biopsy
with
cubic centimeter/ml
Cancer
congestive heart failure
cerebral vascular
accident/stroke
Abbreviations continued
D&C
D&E
DOA
ECG/EKG
EEG
ENT
exp.
dilation & curettage
dilation & evacuation
dead on arrival
electrocardiogram
electroencephalogram
ear, nose, & throat
expiration
Abbreviations continued
FX
H&P
hx.
I&O
IV
IVP
K
KUB
Fracture
history & physical
history
intake & output
intravenous
intravenous pyelogram
potassium
kidney, ureter, bladder (x-ray)
Lobes of the Lungs
RUL=right upper lobe
RML=right middle lobe
RLL=right lower lobe
LUL=left upper lobe
LLL=left lower lobe
Quadrants of Abdomen
Abbreviations continued
mEq
mg
Mg
MI
ml
mm
Na
NPO
milliequivalents (per liter)
milligram
magnesium
myocardial infarction
milliliter (cc)
millimeter
sodium
nothing by mouth
Abbreviations continued
O2
OD
Op
OR
OS
os
OU
oxygen
right eye (oculus dexter)
operation
operating room
left eye (oculus sinister)
mouth
both eyes (oculus uterque)
Abbreviations continued
p
P
PA
post-op
prep
prn
after
phosphorus
posteroanterior
post-operative
prepare for/preparation
as necessary
Abbreviations continued
R
rbc/RBC
S (line over it)
STAT
sat.
T&A
TB
TUR
TURBT
right
red blood count
without
immediately
saturation
tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy
tuberculosis
transurethral resection
transurethral resection
bladder tumor
Abbreviations continued
TURP
vag. hyst.
via
wbc/WBC
transurethral resection prostate
vaginal hysterectomy
by way of
white blood cell
The Joint Commission
“Do Not Use” List
U (unit)
IU (international unit)
QD, qd (daily)
Qod (every other day)
Trailing zero (x.0 mg)
Lack of Leading zero
(.x mg)
MS or MSO4 (write
morphine sulfate)
MgSO4 (write
magnesium sulfate)
> (greater than)
< (less than)
Drug name abbreviations
(write in full)
Apothocary units (use
metric units)
@ (write “at”)
CC (write ml or
milliliters)
µg (write mcg or
micrograms)
IF IN DOUBT WRITE IT
OUT!
Summary of Medical
Terminology
Prefixes
Suffixes
Root Words (structure/disease/surgical)
Medical Abbreviations
Do Not Use List (Joint Commission)
If we wonder often,
the gift of knowledge will come.
Arapaho
The Arapaho tribe of Native Americans historically lived on the eastern plains of Colorado and
Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux.
Together with the Cheyenne they build an enclave of the Algonquian language in the West.