HOSA Medical Terminology General Set

-algia

Pain, painful condition (suffix)

dys-

Bad, difficult, or painful (prefix)

-ectomy

Surgical removal, cutting out (suffix)

hyper-

Excessive, increased (prefix)

hypo-

Deficient, decreased (prefix)

-itis

Inflammation (suffix)

-osis

Abnormal condition, disease (suffix)

-ostomy

The surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface (suffix)

-otomy

Cutting, surgical incision (suffix)

-plasty

Surgical repair (suffix)

-rrhage

Bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge (suffix)

-rrhapy

Surgical suturing (suffix)

-rrhea

Flow or discharge (suffix)

-rrhexis

Rupture (suffix)

-sclerosis

Abnormal hardening (suffix)

Abdominocentesis

The surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid

Acronym

A word formed from the first letter of each word in a series

Acute

New, usually of rapid onset and of concern, opposite of chronic

Angiography

A radiographic study of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium

Appendectomy

Surgical removal of the appendix

Arteriosclerosis

Abnormal hardening of the walls of an artery or arteries

Arthralgia

Joint pain

Colostomy

The surgical creation of an artificial excretory opening between the colon and the body surface

Cyanosis

A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes.

Dermatologist

A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the skin

Diagnosis

Identification of an injury or disease

Diarrhea

Frequent passage of loose, watery stools

Edema

Puffy swelling of tissue from the accumulation of fluid

Endarterial

Pertaining to the interior or lining of an artery

Eponym

A disease, structure, operation, or procedure named for the person who discovered or described it first

Erythrocyte

Red blood cell

Fissure

An opening, a groove, a split

Fistula

Abnormal passageway between two organs or between an internal organ and the body surface

Gastralgia

Stomach pain

Gastritis

Inflammation of the lining of the stomach

Gastroenteritis

Inflammation of the stomach and intestines

Gastrosis

Any disease of the stomach

Hemorrhage

Excessive or profuse bleeding

Hepatomegaly

Abnormal enlargement of the liver

Hypertension

Abnormally high blood pressure

Hypotension

Abnormally low blood pressure

Infection

Contamination or invasion of body tissue by pathogenic organisms

Interstitial

Between, but not within, the parts of a tissue

Intramuscular

Within the muscle

Laceration

A cut, tear

Lesion

A pathologic change of the tissues due to disease or injury

Malaise

A sense of unease

Mycosis

Any abnormal condition or disease caused by a fungus

Myelopathy

Any pathologic change or disease in the spinal cord

Myopathy

Any pathologic change or disease of muscle tissue

Myorrhexis

The rupture or tearing of a muscle

Natal

Pertaining to birth

Neonatology

Study of newborns and the treatment of their disorders

Neurorrhapy

Suture of a nerve

Otorhinolaryngology

The study of the ears, nose, and throat

Palpation

Examination technique in which examiner's hands feel the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts

Palpitation

Subjective experience of pounding, skipping, or racing heartbeats

Pathology

The scientific study of disease

Phalanges

Fingers, toes

Poliomyelitis

A viral infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord

Prognosis

A forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation

Pyoderma

Any acute, inflammatory, pus-forming bacterial skin infection such as impetigo

Pyrosis

Heartburn, burning sensation in upper abdomen due to reflux of gastric acid

Remission

The temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a disease without having achieved a cure

Sign

Any objective evidence of disease, as opposed to a symptom, which is, by nature, subjective

Supination

Movement that turns the palm up

Suppuration

The formation or discharge of pus

Supracostal

Above or outside the ribs

Symptom

Subjective evidence of a disease, such as pain or a headache

Tonsillitis

Acute or chronic inflammation of the tonsils

Trauma

A wound or injury

Triage

Process used to determine the priority of treatment for patients according to the severity of a patient's condition and likelihood of benefit from the treatment

Viral

Pertaining to a virus

Cyan/o

Word root meaning blue, e.g. cyanosis

Erythr/o

Word root meaning red, e.g. erythrocyte

Leuk/o

Word root meaning red, e.g. leukocyte

Melan/o

Word root meaning black, e.g. melanosis

Poli/o

Word root meaning grey, e.g. poliomyelitis

-dynia

Pain (suffix, not as common as -algia)

-megaly

Enlargement (suffix)

-malacia

Abnormal softening (suffix)

-necrosis

Tissue death (suffix)

-graphy

Process of producing a picture or record (suffix)

-gram

A picture or record (suffix)

-scopy

Visual examination (suffix)

Pre-

Time and events before (prefix)

Peri-

Time and events surrounding (prefix)

Post-

Time and events occurring after (prefix)

Ab-

Away from, negative, absent (prefix)

Ad-

Toward, to, in the direction of (prefix)

Dextr/o-

Right side (prefix)

Sinistr/o

Left side (prefix)

Ex-

Out of, outside, away from (prefix)

In-

In, into, not, without (prefix)

Macro-

Large, abnormal size, or long (prefix)

Micr/o, micro-

Small (prefix)

Mega-, megal/o

Large, great (prefix)

Olig/o

Scanty, few (prefix)

Eu-

Good, normal, well, easy (prefix)

Inter-

Between, among (prefix)