med_term_ch1_ppt_2

Word Parts and Building Medical Terms

Medical terminology is built from smaller parts: word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining vowels. Understanding how these parts fit together lets you build and translate terms.
Key idea: It is impossible to memorize every term; you can often determine meaning from word parts.
Major parts:
- Word roots: foundation; give general sense or refer to a body part or system (e.g., cardi = heart; cis = to cut).
- Prefixes: occur at the beginning; modify the root's meaning (location, number, time, etc.). Some terms have no prefix. When written alone, a prefix is followed by a hyphen (e.g., intra-).
- Suffixes: occur at the end; modify the root to indicate condition, disease, procedure, etc. All medical terms must have a suffix.
- Combining vowels: usually an o; connect word parts to aid pronunciation. Used between two word roots or between a word root and a suffix that begins with a consonant; not used if the suffix begins with a vowel. It is typically used even if the second root begins with a vowel (e.g., gastroenteritis).
Special caveat: There are always exceptions to these rules.

Building Medical Terms From Word Parts

Word root: cardi- (heart) in cardiogram, cardiology, etc.
Prefix: peri- (around) in pericardium, endo- (within) in endoscopy, etc.
Suffix: -itis (inflammation) in carditis; -pathy (disease) in neuropathy; -ectomy (surgical removal) in gastrectomy.
Combining vowel: connects word parts to form pronounceable terms (e.g., cardi/o + logy = cardiology).
Example term construction: hypo- + derm/o + -ic = hypodermic (pertaining to under the skin).

Word Parts: Word Roots

Word root is the foundation of the term and gives the core meaning.
Often refers to a body system or part (e.g., cardi = heart).
May describe an action (e.g., cis = to cut).
Some terms may have more than one root (e.g., osteoarthritis contains two roots, one combining vowel, and one suffix).
Not all terms have a root (e.g., hypertrophy contains a prefix and suffix only).

Combining Vowel/Form

The combining vowel makes long terms easier to pronounce; usually the letter o.
Rules:
- Used between two word roots.
- Used between a word root and a suffix beginning with a consonant.
- Not used if the suffix begins with a vowel (e.g., arthritis, not arthroitis).
- Used even if the second root begins with a vowel (e.g., gastroenteritis, not gastrenteritis).
Common combining forms are written as root/combining vowel (e.g., cardi/o, arthr/o, gastr/o).

Common Combining Forms

bi/o = life
carcin/o = cancer
cardi/o = heart
chem/o = chemical
cis/o = to cut
dermat/o = skin
enter/o = small intestine
gastr/o = stomach
gynec/o = female
hemat/o = blood
immun/o = immunity
laryng/o = voice box
nephr/o = kidney
neur/o = nerve
ophthalm/o = eye
ot/o = ear
path/o = disease
pulmon/o = lung
rhin/o = nose

Common Combining Forms (cont.)

Additional parts to be aware of: it is common to see multiple combining forms in a term (e.g., gastr/o + enter/o + logy = study of the stomach and small intestine).

Prefixes

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a term and add meaning (location, number, time, etc.).
Not all terms have prefixes.
When written by itself, a prefix is followed by a hyphen (e.g., intra-).

Common Prefixes (1 of 6)

a- = without
an- = without
anti- = against
auto- = self
brady- = slow
de- = without

Common Prefixes (2 of 6)

dys- = painful, difficult, abnormal
endo- = within, inner
epi- = above
eu- = normal
ex- = outward
extra- = outside of

Common Prefixes (3 of 6)

hetero- = different
homo- = same
hyper- = excessive
hypo- = below, insufficient
in- = not, inward
inter- = between
intra- = within

Common Prefixes (4 of 6)

macro- = large
micro- = small
neo- = new
para- = beside, abnormal, two like parts of a pair
per- = through

Common Prefixes (5 of 6)

peri- = around
post- = after
pre- = before
pro- = before
pseudo- = false
re- = again
retro- = backward, behind
sub- = under

Common Prefixes (6 of 6)

tachy- = fast
trans- = across
ultra- = beyond
un- = not

Number Prefixes (1 of 2)

bi- = two
hemi- = half
mono- = one
multi- = many
nulli- = none
pan- = all

Number Prefixes (2 of 2)

poly- = many
quadri- = four
semi- = partial, half
tetra- = four
tri- = three

Suffixes

Suffixes are attached to the end of a term and add meaning (condition, disease, procedure, etc.).
All medical terms must have a suffix—the suffix is the only mandatory word part.
When written by itself, a suffix is preceded by a hyphen (e.g., -logy).

Common Suffixes (1 of 5)

-algia = pain
-cele = protrusion
-cyte = cell
-dynia = pain
-ectasis = dilation
-gen = that which produces
-genic = producing

Common Suffixes (2 of 5)

-ia = condition
-iasis = abnormal condition
-ism = state of
-itis = inflammation
-logist = one who studies
-logy = study of

Common Suffixes (3 of 5)

-lytic = destruction
-malacia = abnormal softening
-megaly = enlarged
-oma = tumor, mass
-opsy = view of
-osis = abnormal condition
-pathy = disease

Common Suffixes (4 of 5)

-plasm = formation
-plegia = paralysis
-ptosis = drooping
-rrhage = abnormal flow
-rrhagia = abnormal flow condition
-rrhea = discharge
-rrhexis = rupture
-sclerosis = hardening

Common Suffixes (5 of 5)

-stenosis = narrowing
-therapy = treatment
-trophy = development

Adjective Suffixes

A suffix may change a root into a complete word; commonly translates as pertaining to.
The new word can modify another word (example: gastr/o + -ic = gastric; gastric ulcer = ulcer in the stomach).
Common adjective suffixes include: -ac, -al, -an, -ar, -ary, -atic, -eal, -iac, -ic, -ical, -ile, -ine, -ior, -nic, -ory, -ose, -ous, -tic.

Surgical Suffixes

-centesis = puncture to withdraw fluid
-ectomy = surgical removal
-ostomy = surgically create an opening
-otomy = cutting into
-pexy = surgical fixation
-plasty = surgical repair
-rrhaphy = suture
-tome = instrument to cut

Procedural Suffixes

-gram = record
-graphy = process of recording
-meter = instrument for measuring
-metry = process of measuring
-scope = instrument for viewing
-scopic = pertaining to visually examining
-scopy = process of visually examining

Word Building

Word building involves combining word parts to form new terms.
Begin with meaning of the parts; select the correct parts; follow the rules about the location of each part.
Example: hypo- = below; derm/o = the skin; -ic = pertaining to; hypodermic = pertaining to under the skin.

Interpreting Medical Terms

Example term: Gastroenterology.
Divide into word parts: gastr/o / enter/o / logy = stomach / small intestine / study of.
This yields: the study of the stomach and small intestines.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation varies by background; when unsure, ask for spelling.
New terms in bold are followed by a phonetic spelling in parentheses in the textbook.
Stressed syllables are shown in uppercase in the phonetic spelling (e.g., pericarditis → per ih CAR di tis).

Spelling

There is only one correct spelling for terms.
A single letter change can alter meaning (e.g., abduction vs adduction).
Homonyms and near-homonyms can be tricky (e.g., ileum vs ilium).
Sounds to watch: "psy" = sigh-KIGH-ah-tree; "cy" = sigh-TALL-oh-gee; "dys" = dis-; "dis" = dis-low-KAY-shun.

Singular and Plural Endings

Many medical terms come from Greek or Latin; pluralization rules differ from English.
Examples:
- -a → vertebrae (not vertebras)
- -ax → thoraces
- -ex or -ix → appendices
- -is → metastases
- -ma → sarcomata
- -nx → phalanges
- -on → ganglia
- -us → nuclei
- -um → ova
- -y → biopsies
General rule: Some endings follow alternative classical plurals; others follow English plural rules.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are common but can be confusing.
If there is any doubt, spell out the term.
Do not use personal or nonstandard abbreviations.

The Medical Record

The medical record documents: the patient’s day-to-day condition, type and time of services, patient response to treatment.
All personnel with patient contact complete reports; the medical records department ensures documents are present, complete, signed, and organized.
The electronic medical record (EMR) is a software program that stores patient information digitally.
EMR advantages: enables analysis to detect/prevent errors, facilitates access and sharing among providers, reduces repeating tests, reduces medication errors.

The Medical Record (cont)

History and Physical (H&P): written by the admitting physician; details history, exam results, initial diagnosis, plan of treatment.
Physician's Orders: list of care, medications, tests, treatments.
Nurse's Notes: vital signs, treatment specifics, patient responses, condition across the day.
Physician's Progress Notes: daily record of the patient’s condition; exam results, test results, updated assessment/diagnoses, treatment plans.
Consultation Reports: evaluation by specialists.
Ancillary Reports: from rehab, social services, respiratory therapy, dietetics, etc.
Diagnostic Reports: results of diagnostic tests, often written by labs or imaging.
Informed Consent: document signed by patient or legal representative; describes purpose, methods, procedures, benefits, and risks.
Operative Report: surgeon’s report detailing an operation; includes pre-/post-operative diagnoses, specifics of the procedure, patient tolerance.
Anesthesiologist's Report: drugs given, patient response to anesthesia, vital signs during surgery.
Pathologist's Report: tissue study results.
Discharge Summary: outlines entire hospital stay; admission condition, diagnoses, test results, responses, final diagnosis, follow-up plans.

Healthcare Settings

Acute Care or General Hospitals: diagnose and treat diseases for a short period.
Specialty Care Hospitals: focus on a specific disease type (e.g., psychiatric hospital, children’s hospital).
Nursing Homes / Long-Term Care Facilities: long-term care; support for patients needing extended recovery or independent living support.
Ambulatory Care Centers, Surgical Centers, Outpatient Clinics: services not requiring overnight stay; simple surgeries, therapies, or diagnostic testing.
Physician's Offices: diagnostic and treatment services in an office setting.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): group of primary care physicians and specialists; wide range of services in a pre-paid system.
Home Health Care: nursing, therapy, personal care, or housekeeping in the patient’s home.
Rehabilitation Centers: physical and occupational therapy in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Hospices: supportive care for terminally ill patients and families.

Confidentiality

Any patient information is privileged.
Healthcare workers have moral and legal responsibility to keep information private.
Proper authorization must be signed by the patient before information is released.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets federal standards for protecting records and medical information.

Pharmacology

Definition: Pharmacology is the study of the origin, characteristics, and effects of drugs.
Drug sources: natural (food, animals, plants, fungi) or synthetic (artificially developed in a laboratory).

Drug Names

Drugs have three names:
- Chemical name: describes the chemical formula
- Generic name: official non-brand name
- Brand name: manufacturer’s trademark (e.g., Motrin, Advil, Nuprin for ibuprofen)
Ibuprofen example:
- Chemical name: 2 ext{-}p ext{-}isobutyl phenyl propionic acid
- Generic name: ibuprofen
- Brand name: Motrin™, Advil™, Nuprin™

Legal Classification of Drugs

Prescription drugs: require order by a licensed healthcare practitioner; written prescription; serves as pharmacist instructions.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs: do not require prescription; should be used under physician or pharmacist guidance.
Controlled substances: addictive or have abuse potential; classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) into Schedule I through Schedule V.
Examples of controlled substances include codeine, oxycontin, morphine.

Schedule I–V (Legal Classification of Drugs Cont.)

Schedule I: highest addiction potential (e.g., heroin, LSD).
Schedule II: high addiction potential (e.g., codeine, morphine).
Schedule III: moderate addiction potential (e.g., butabarbital).
Schedule IV: lower addiction potential (e.g., phenobarbital, diazepam).
Schedule V: low addiction potential (e.g., codeine-containing cough suppressants).

How to Read a Prescription

Prescriptions use abbreviations rooted in Latin/Greek.
Legal prescriptions must include:
- Date
- Physician’s name, address, and DEA number, and signature
- Patient’s name and birth date
Common abbreviations:
- Rx = prescription
- mg = milligram
- Sig = instructions for the label
- Disp = amount to dispense and number of refills
Note: Use standard, unambiguous abbreviations to avoid confusion.

Quick Reference: Connections to Foundational Concepts

Word parts and morphology underpin all term-building tasks in medical terminology.
Pronunciation, spelling, and pluralization rules are essential for accurate communication.
The medical record (including EMR) is central to patient care, data integrity, and safety.
Ethical and legal context (confidentiality, HIPAA) governs handling of medical information.
Pharmacology and drug nomenclature integrate chemistry, naming conventions, and legal classifications to support safe prescribing and dispensing.
Understanding healthcare settings helps interpret patient pathways and care environments.

Quick Practice Prompts

Build term: hypo- + derm/o + -ic → Hypodermic; define its meaning.
Divide gastroenterology into parts: gastr/o / enter / o / logy; interpret meaning.
Explain why the suffix -itis indicates inflammation.
Provide three examples of combining forms and their bases.
List two prefixes that indicate location and two that indicate time.

Note

This set of notes is designed to mirror the content of Chapter 1 Introduction to Medical Terminology, providing a comprehensive, detail-rich reference for study and exam preparation. Always cross-check with course materials for any phrasing or emphasis specific to instructors.