Medical Terminology Midterm Terms (Chapter 1-6)

-ac, -al, -ar, - ary, -eal, -ic, -tic, -ous

pertaining to

-ia, -ism

condition

-ium

tissue, structure

-y

condition, procedure

-icle, -ole, -ule, -ula

small

-iatrics, -iatry

medical science

-iatrist

specialist in medicine of

-ist

specialist

-logist

specialist in the study of

-logy

study of

-algia, -dynia

pain

-cele

hernia (bulging of tissue into an area where it doesn’t belong)

-emia

blood condition

-iasis

presence of

-itis

inflammation

-lysis

loosen, breakdown

-malacia

abnormal softening

-megaly

enlargement

-oid

resembling

-oma

tumor

-ois

condition

-pathy

disease

-penia

deficiency

-ptosis

drooping

-rrhage, -rrhagia

excessive flow

-rrhea

flow

-rrhexis

rupture

-spasm

involuntary contraction

-centesis

puncture

-gram

written record

-graph

instrument used to produce a record

-graphy

writing procedure

-meter

instrument used to measure

-metry

process of measuring

-scope

instrument used to look

-scopy

process of looking

-desis

binding, fixation

-ectomy

removal

-pexy

surgical fixation

-plasty

reconstruction

-rrhaphy

suture

-stomy

creating of an opening

-tomy

incision

Ante- , Pre-

before

Pro-

before, on behalf on

Brady-

slow

Tachy-

fast

Ab-

away

Ad-

toward

Circum-, Peri-

around

Dia-, Trans-

through

E-, Ec-, Ex-

out

Ecto-, Exo-, Extra-

outside

En-, Endo-, Intra-

in, inside

Epi-

upon

Sub-

beneath

Inter-

between

Oligo-

few

Pan-

all

Con-, Syn-, Sym-

with, together

Dys-

bad

Eu-

good

Acute

it started recently or is a sharp severe symptom

Chronic

it has been going on for a while now

Exacerbation

it is getting worse

Abrupt

all of a sudden

Febrile

to have a fever

Afebrile

to not have a fever

Malaise

not feeling well

Progressive

more and more each day

Symptom

something a patient feels

Noncontributory

not related to this specific problem

Lethargic

a decrease in level consciousness; usually an indication that a patient is really sick

Genetic/Hereditary

it runs in the family

Alert

able to answer questions; responsive

Oriented

being aware of who he or she is

Marked

it really stands out

Unremarkable

another way of saying normal

Auscultation

to listen

Percussion

to hit something and listen to the resulting sound or feel for the resulting vibration

Palpitation

to feel

Impression

another way of saying assessment

Diagnosis

what the healthcare professional thinks the patient has

Differential Diagnosis

a list of conditions the patient may have based on the symptoms they have and the results of the exam

Benign

safe

Malignant

dangerous; a problem

Degeneration

to be getting worse

Remission

to get better or improve; most often used when discussing cancer; DOES NOT mean cure

Idiopathic

no known specific cause; it just happens

Localized

stays in a certain part of the body

Systemic/generalized

all over the body (or most of it)

Prognosis

the chances for things getting better or worse

Occult

hidden

Lesion

diseased tissue

Recurrent

to have again

Sequela

a problem resulting from a disease or injury

Pending

waiting for

Pathogen

the organism that causes the problem

Morbidity

the risk for being sick

Mortality

the risk for dying