Medical Terminology – Suffixes, Abbreviations & Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key suffixes, abbreviations, anatomical planes, medical conditions, diagnostic terms, surgical procedures, and important roots from the lecture notes.

-scope

Instrument used for visual examination

-scopy

Process of visually examining with a scope

-spasm

Involuntary contraction or twitching of a muscle or vessel

-stenosis

Abnormal narrowing of a passage or vessel

-stomy

Surgical creation of an artificial opening (mouth) into an organ

-thorax

Chest; pleural cavity

-tomy

Incision; cutting into

-tripsy

Crushing or fragmenting (e.g., lithotripsy = stone crushing)

-trophic (or -trophy)

Pertaining to nourishment, growth, or development

-uria

Condition of the urine or urination

AD

Auris dextra – right ear

AU

Auris utraque – both ears

BID

Bis in die – twice a day

BS

Blood sugar (may also mean bowel or breath sounds depending on context)

CABG

Coronary artery bypass graft

ENT

Ear, Nose and Throat (otorhinolaryngology)

FBS

Fasting blood sugar

IVC

Inferior vena cava

LASIK

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (refractive eye surgery)

N&V

Nausea and vomiting

OS

Oculus sinister – left eye

OU

Oculus uterque – both eyes

PKD

Polycystic kidney disease

SVC

Superior vena cava – returns blood from upper body to heart

TIA

Transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke)

TID

Ter in die – three times a day

UTI

Urinary tract infection

VA

Visual acuity

Adrenal insufficiency

Condition in which the adrenal glands fail to produce adequate cortisol ± aldosterone

Antibody

Protective protein produced by B-lymphocytes that binds to a specific antigen

Anticoagulant

Substance or drug that prevents or delays blood clotting

Antigen

Any substance that triggers an immune response

Ascites

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity

Bulla

Large fluid-filled blister (>0.5 cm) on the skin or mucosa

Catatonia

State of psychomotor immobility, rigidity or stupor

Heart chambers

Right atrium & right ventricle (right side); left atrium & left ventricle (left side)

Coronal (frontal) plane

Anatomical plane dividing body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions

Dementia

Progressive decline in memory and cognitive function interfering with daily life

Diabetes mellitus

Chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency or resistance

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

Acute complication of diabetes marked by hyperglycemia, ketone production, and metabolic acidosis

Dyslexia

Learning disorder characterized by difficulty with accurate or fluent word recognition and spelling

Ecchymosis

Large bruise caused by bleeding under the skin

Enuresis

Involuntary urination, especially nocturnal bed-wetting

General anesthetic

Drug that produces loss of consciousness and sensation throughout the body

Local anesthetic

Agent that numbs a small, specific area without loss of consciousness

Regional anesthetic

Blocks nerve conduction to a larger region (e.g., spinal, epidural)

Topical anesthetic

Anesthetic applied to skin or mucous membrane surfaces

Hematocrit

Percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells

Hemorrhage

Excessive or profuse bleeding; bursting forth of blood

Hemostatic

Agent or process that stops bleeding

Idiopathic

Of unknown cause

Incontinence

Inability to control urination or defecation

Lateral

Toward the side, away from the midline

Macule

Flat, colored skin spot <1 cm (e.g., freckle)

Medial

Toward the midline of the body

Menarche

First menstrual period

Nystagmus

Involuntary, rapid, oscillating eye movements

Occlusion

Blockage or closing of a vessel or passage

Papule

Small, raised skin lesion <1 cm

Petechia

Minute pinpoint hemorrhage under the skin

Prone

Lying face down

Reflux

Backward flow of fluid (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux)

Sagittal plane

Anatomical plane dividing body into right and left portions

Sphygmomanometer

Device used to measure arterial blood pressure

Splenectopy (wandering spleen)

Displacement of the spleen from its normal position

Stroke

Loss of brain function due to ischemia (thrombotic/embolic) or hemorrhage

Supine

Lying on the back, face upward

Thelarche

Onset of breast development

Thrombolytic

Drug that dissolves blood clots

Thrombus

Stationary blood clot attached to a vessel wall

Transverse (horizontal) plane

Divides body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts

Vesicle

Small fluid-filled blister <0.5 cm

Adenocarcinoma

Malignant tumor originating from glandular epithelium

Cholelithotripsy

Surgical crushing of gallstones

Cystorrhexis

Rupture of the urinary bladder

Cystoptosis

Prolapse or downward displacement of the bladder

Lymphadenitis

Inflammation of lymph nodes

Hematuria

Presence of blood in the urine

Cholecystogram

Radiographic image of the gallbladder

Thoracentesis

Surgical puncture of the chest wall to remove fluid from the pleural space

Laryngectomy

Surgical removal of the larynx

Pneumothorax

Air in the pleural cavity causing lung collapse

Cardiomyotomy

Surgical incision of cardiac (or esophageal cardia) muscle to relieve constriction

Cardiomyopathy

Disease of the heart muscle impairing its function

Embolectomy

Surgical removal of an embolus (clot)

Erythrocyte

Red blood cell

Thyroidotomy

Incision into the thyroid gland

Greek root “-rrhage / ‑rrhagia”

From Greek rhēgnynai = “to burst forth, pour out”

Root "ven/o"

Means “vein” (as in venospasm – involuntary contraction of a vein)

Root "parathyroid"

Glands beside the thyroid; hypoparathyroidism = deficient activity of the parathyroid glands