Medical Terminology Chapter 1

Symbols

Graphic representations of terms.

Spelling rule 3

If a combining form ends with the same vowel that begins a suffix, one of the vowels is dropped. Instead of the "i"s is dropped, and the term is spelled endocarditis.

Spelling rule 1

If the suffix starts with a vowel, a combining vowel is not needed to join the parts. The combining vowel "o" is not needed because the suffix starts with the vowel "i".

Spelling rule 2

If the suffix starts with s constant, a combining vowel is needed to join two word parts.

Spelling rule 4

If two or more combining forms are used in a term, the combining vowel is retained between the two, regardless of whether the second combing form begins with a vowel or a constant. The combing form vowel is kept between the two combining forms and the combining vowel is dropped before the suffix itis.

Diagnostic Procedure Suffixes

Indicate a procedure that helps to determine the diagnosis. Although a few diagnosis procedures also can help to treat a disease, most are used to establish a particular disease or disorder.

Therapeutic Intervention Suffixes

Indicate types of treatment. Treatments may be medical or surgical in nature.

Instrument Suffixes

Indicated by yet another set of suffixes.

IM

Intramuscular (pertaining to within muscles)

Prefixes

Modify a medical term by indicating a structure's or a condition's: Absence, Location, Number or quantity, and State.

Noun-Ending Suffixes

Noun endings are used most often to describe anatomic terms. Noun endings such as -icle, -ole, and -ule describe a diminutive (describing particular area) structure.

C2

Second cervical vertebra (Second bone in neck)

Prognosis

Similar to diagnosis, the term prognosis can be broken down into its word parts , but this does not give the true definition of the term, which is "a prediction of the probable outcome of a disease or disorder."

Spelling rule 5

Sometimes when two or more combining forms are used to make a medical term, special notice must be paid to the order in which the combining forms are joined.

Eponyms

Terms that are named after a person or place associated with the term. Examples: Alzheimer disease, Achilles tendon

Diagnosis

The disease condition that is named after a healthcare professional evaluates a patient's sign, symptoms, and history. Although the term is built from word parts, using these word parts to form the definition of diagnosis, which is "a state of complete knowledge."

present

+

Absent

-

TURP

Transurethral resection of the prostate (a surgical procedure that removes the prostate through the urethra)

Suffix

Word part that appears at the end of a term. Are used to indicate whether the term is an anatomic, pathologic, diagnostic, or therapeutic intervention term.

Prefix

Word part that sometimes appears at the beginning of a term. Are used to further define the absence, location, number, quantity, or state of the term.

Nondecodable terms

Words used in medicine whose definitions must be memorized without the benefit of word parts.

Achilles Tendon

a body part named after a figure in Greek mythology whose one weak spot was this area of his anatomy. Tendons are bands of tissue that attach muscles to bones. Attaches to the calf muscle to the heel bone (calcaneus).

Combining vowel

a letter sometimes used to join word parts. Usually an "o" but occasionally an "a", "e", "i", or "u".

Singular/plural rules

-a goes to -ae

Singular/plural rules

-is goes to -es

Singular/plural rules

-itis goes to -itides

Singular/plural rules

-ix or -ex goes to -ices

Singular/plural rules

-nx goes to -nges

Singular/plural rules

-um goes to -a

Singular/plural rules

-us goes to -i

Singular/plural rules

-y goes to -ies

Simple Abbreviations

A combination of letters and sometimes numbers. Examples: IM, C2

Symptom

A subjective report of a disease. Examples: pain, and itching.

Acute

A term that describes an abrupt, severe onset to a disease.

Acronyms

Abbreviations that are also pronounceable. Examples: CABG, TURP

Sign

An objective finding of a disease state. Examples: Fever, high blood pressure, and rash.

CARD method

Check, Assign, Reverse, and Define

CABG

Coronary artery bypass graft (detour around a blockage in an artery).

Pathology Suffixes

Describe a disease process or sign a or symptom. the meaning vary according to the dysfunctions that they describe.

Chronic

Developing slowly and lasting for along time. Diagnosis may be described as being either acute or chronic.

u

eu

Alzheimer Disease

is named after Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist. The disease is a progressive mental deterioration.

f

ph

n

pn

s

ps

t

pt

Word root

word origin

Combining form

word root with its respective combining vowel

z

x