Medical Terminology Ch. 1 -- Introduction to Healthcare Terminology

CARD Method for Decoding Terms

- Check for the word parts in a term - Assign meanings to the word parts - Reverse the meaning of the suffix to the front of your definition - Define the term

Combining Vowel (CV)

-- A letter sometimes used to join word parts -- Usually an "o" but occasionally an "a", "e", "i", or "u" -- a word part, usually an o, used to ease pronunciation

Eponyms

-- Eponyms are medical terms that carry the name of the person or place associated with the term -- Terms derived from the name of a person, often a physician or scientist who was the first to identify a condition or technique such as Alzheimer disease. -- ex: Alzheimer disease, Achilles tendon

Word Elements

-- Medical words composed of word elements, also known as word parts, and consisting of some or all of the following elements: •Word root (WR) •Combining form (CF) •Suffix •Prefix -- Five word elements make up the basis of medical terminology: prefix, suffix, root, combining vowel, and combining form.

Prefixes

-- Prefixes modify a medical term by indicating a structure's or a condition's: -absence -location -number or quantity -state -- Sometimes, as with other word parts, a prefix can have more than one meaning. (ex: the prefix "hypo-" can mean "below" or "deficient".) -- To spell a term with the use of a prefix, simply add the prefix directly to the beginning of the term. No combining vowels are needed!

Diagnosis

-- Present condition -- Dia- means "through" or "complete" and -gnosis means a "state of knowledge." -- Literally: complete state of knowledge -- A diagnosis to us is the name of a disease or condition after a healthcare professional evaluates a patient's signs, symptoms, and history

Nondecodable Terms

-- Terms that are composed of word parts that can not be used to assemble a definition -- Words used in medicine whose definitions must be memorized without the benefit of word parts

Building Medical Words

-- Three rules for building medical words Rule 1: a word root (WR) links a suffix that begins with a vowel Rule 2: a (CF) combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant Rule 3: a combining form (CF) links one root to another root to form a compound word -- extra: Rule 3 holds true even if the next root begins with a vowel, as in gastr/o/intestin/al.

Defining Medical Words

-- Three steps for defining medical words 1. Define the suffix first. 2. Define the first part of the word (WR, CF, or prefix). 3. Define the middle part of the word (WR or CF).

Prefix

-- Word element at the beginning of a word -- Many the same as those used in the English language -- a syllable or word that comes before a root word to change its meaning -- Changes the meaning of a medical word -- Not contained in all medical words -- Usually an indication of a number, time, position, measurement, direction, or negation

Combining Form (CF)

-- created when a word root is combined with a vowel, known as a combining vowel -- Combining vowel usually an o, but sometimes an i or an e -- Difficulty pronouncing certain combinations of word roots requires insertion of a vowel -- No meaning of its own, but a combining vowel enables two or more word elements to be connected

Word Root (WR)

-- foundation of the word that contains its main meaning -- Usually from Latin or Greek language -- At least one word root in most medical words

Prognosis

-- future condition -- Pro- means "before, in front of" and -gnosis is still a "state of knowledge." -- A prognosis is a state of knowledge ahead of time, which sounds a little odd, until you realize that it is a prediction of the future condition of a patient.

Chronic

-- long term and recurring -- For chronic, think long term, recurring. The CF chron/o means "time." The chronic form of a disease is characterized by a long duration and a recurring nature.

Suffixes

-- noun-ending suffixes -- noun endings are used most often to describe anatomic terms. Nnoun endings such as -icle, -ole, and -ule, describe diminutive structure -- adjective suffixes -- adjective suffixes such as those listed here usually mean "pertaining to" ex: when the suffix "ac" is added to the CF cardi/o, the term cardiac is formed, which means "pertaining to the heart" -- when you see an adjective term you need to see what it is describing (ex: cardiac pain is pain of the heart, while cardiac surgery is surgery done on the heart), an adjective only tells half the story -- pathology suffixes -- pathology suffixes describe a disease process or a sign or symptom. The meanings vary according to the conditions that they describe --Diagnostic procedure suffixes -- diagnostic procedure suffixes indicate a procedure that helps to determine the diagnosis. Although a few diagnostic procedures also can help to treat a disease, most are used to establish a particular disease or disorder --Therapeutic intervention suffixes -- therapeutic intervention suffixes indicate types of treatment. Treatments may be medical or surgical in nature -- Instrument Suffixes -- instruments are indicated by another set of suffixes. They have obvious similarities to their diagnostic and therapeutic suffix "cousins" -- Specialty and specialist suffixes -- specialties and specialists require another category of suffixes. -- ex: someone who specializes in the study of the heart would be called a cardiologist

Signs

-- objective, has observable signs -- objectively observed signs or indicators of a disorder -- Signs are objective: they can be seen and/or measured. Examples are fevers, high blood pressure, rashes.

Acute

-- short term and sharp -- For acute, think sharp (acu- means sharp, as in acupuncture) and short. An acute form of a disease begins suddenly and severely.

Symptoms

-- subjective, determined by patients explanation -- Subjective characteristics of disease felt only by the patient -- Symptoms are subjective: they are experienced by the patient but cannot be seen or measured. "I'm dizzy" and "I'm sick to my stomach" are examples of symptoms.

Suffix

-- word element at the end of a word -- placed after a root; it changes the meaning of the word -- Changes the meaning of a medical word -- Contained in most medical words -- Usually an indication of a pathology, condition, symptom, therapeutic or diagnostic procedure, or part of speech

5 Rules to Build Terms

1. If the suffix starts with a vowel, a combining vowel is NOT needed to join the parts. -- ex: arthr/o + -itis = arthritis -- You don't need to keep the "o," because the suffix starts with a vowel. 2. If the suffix starts with a consonant, a combining vowel IS needed to join the two word parts. -- ex: arthr/o + -plasty = arthroplasty 3. If a combining form ends with the same vowel that begins a suffix, one of the vowels is dropped. -- ex: endocardi/o + -itis = endocarditis 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 combining form is a vowel or a suffix. -- ex: gastr/o + enter/o + -itis = gastroenteritis 5. Sometimes when two or more combining forms are used to make a term, special notice needs to be paid to the order in which the combining forms are joined. -- ex: esophag/o + gastr/o + duoden/o + -scopy = esophagogastroduodenoscopy -- basically you follow the path in the body that the parts take (in the example above the esophagus comes before the stomach which comes before the duodenum, etc.)