ch 5: Medical Terminology for Emergency Care

Introduction to Medical Terminology

  • Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) require a thorough understanding of medical terminology.

  • This includes:

    • Key terms

    • Symbols

    • Abbreviations

  • Proficiency in medical jargon is crucial for effective communication among healthcare professionals, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and efficiency in urgent situations. Misinterpretation can lead to medical errors and compromised patient care.

  • To deduce the meaning of an unfamiliar medical term, EMTs should:

    • Understand the fundamental structure of medical words.

    • Learn the definitions of the individual parts that make up a term.

Anatomy of a Medical Term: Building Blocks

  • Medical terms are composed of distinct parts, each serving a specific function.

  • Altering or removing any part can fundamentally change the word's meaning.

  • The primary components of medical terms are:

    • Word root: The core or stem of a word, conveying its essential meaning. It often points to a specific body part and is typically derived from Greek or Latin. Examples include extcardi−ext{cardi-} (heart), extgastr−ext{gastr-} (stomach), and extnephr−ext{nephr-} (kidney).

    • Prefix: A component placed at the beginning of a word, typically describing location, intensity, number, or time. Examples include exthyper−ext{hyper-} (above normal), exthypo−ext{hypo-} (below normal), extendo−ext{endo-} (within), extdys−ext{dys-} (difficult or painful).

    • Suffix: A component found at the end of a word, usually indicating a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech. Examples include ext−itisext{-itis} (inflammation), ext−ectomyext{-ectomy} (surgical removal), ext−ologyext{-ology} (study of), ext−algiaext{-algia} (pain).

    • Combining vowels: Letters used to connect word roots to suffixes or to other word roots, primarily for ease of pronunciation. The most common combining vowel is 'o', but 'i' or 'e' can also be used. They are typically used when connecting a word root to a suffix that starts with a consonant, or when connecting two word roots.

  • The way these parts are combined dictates the term's overall meaning.

  • Accurate spelling is critically important, as small differences can lead to vastly different meanings:

    • For example, ext−phasiaext{-phasia} refers to speaking, while ext−phagiaext{-phagia} refers to eating or swallowing.

    • The prefix extDys−ext{Dys-} means difficult or painful.

    • Therefore, extDysphasiaext{Dysphasia} signifies difficulty speaking.

    • In contrast, extDysphagiaext{Dysphagia} denotes difficulty eating or swallowing.

    • Another example is ext−ostomyext{-ostomy} (surgical creation of an artificial opening) versus ext−otomyext{-otomy} (surgical incision).

  • Beyond understanding term structure, knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and the clinical context in which words are used, are equally vital for correct interpretation and application.

Word Building Rules

  • Prefix Placement: The prefix is always at the beginning of a term.

  • Suffix Placement: The suffix is always at the end of a term.

  • Combining Vowel Usage: A combining vowel is used in two main scenarios:

    1. When the suffix begins with a consonant, to facilitate pronunciation (e.g., extcardio−logyext{cardio-logy}; extcardioext{cardio} + ext−logyext{-logy}).

    2. When a term consists of more than one word root (e.g., extcardio−pulmonaryext{cardio-pulmonary}; extcardioext{cardio} meaning heart, extpulmonaryext{pulmonary} meaning lung).

Plural Endings of Medical Terms

  • General rule: Add an 's' (e.g., extlungolungsext{lung o lungs}).

  • Specific rules for certain endings:

    • Words ending in ext−aext{-a} change to ext−aeext{-ae} (e.g., extvertebraovertebraeext{vertebra o vertebrae}).

    • Words ending in ext−isext{-is} change to ext−esext{-es} (e.g., extdiagnosisodiagnosesext{diagnosis o diagnoses}).

    • Words ending in ext−exext{-ex} or ext−ixext{-ix} change to ext−icesext{-ices} (e.g., extapexoapicesext{apex o apices}).

    • Words ending in ext−onext{-on} or ext−umext{-um} change to ext−aext{-a} (e.g., extganglionogangliaext{ganglion o ganglia}, extovumoovaext{ovum o ova}).

    • Words ending in ext−usext{-us} change to ext−iext{-i} (e.g., extbronchusobronchiext{bronchus o bronchi}).

Special Word Parts: Prefixes

  • Prefixes can convey information about:

    • Numbers: e.g., extuni−ext{uni-} (one), extbi−ext{bi-} (two), extdipl−ext{dipl-} (two, double), exttri−ext{tri-} (three), extquadri−ext{quadri-} (four), exthemi−ext{hemi-} (half), extsemi−ext{semi-} (half), extnull−ext{null-} (none), extprimi−ext{primi-} (first), extmulti−ext{multi-} (many).

    • Colors: e.g., extcyan/oext{cyan/o} (blue), extleuk/oext{leuk/o} (white), exterythr/oext{erythr/o} (red), extcirrh/oext{cirrh/o} (yellow/orange), extmelan/oext{melan/o} (black), extchlor/oext{chlor/o} (green), extxanth/oext{xanth/o} (yellow).

    • Positions and Directions: e.g., extab−ext{ab-} (away from), extad−ext{ad-} (toward), extde−ext{de-} (down/away from), extcircum−ext{circum-} (around), extperi−ext{peri-} (around), exttrans−ext{trans-} (across), extepi−ext{epi-} (upon/over), extsupra−ext{supra-} (above), extinfra−ext{infra-} (below), extinter−ext{inter-} (between), extintra−ext{intra-} (within), extretro−ext{retro-} (behind).

Common Direction, Movement, and Position Terms

  • Directional terms are essential for accurately describing injury locations, the radiation of pain within the body, and the relative positions of anatomical structures.

Directional Terms

  • Right and Left: Always refer to the patient's right and left sides, not the EMT's.

  • Superior: Closer to the head; above (e.g., the thoracic cavity is superior to the abdominal cavity. The knee is superior to the foot).

  • Inferior: Closer to the feet; below (e.g., the foot is inferior to the knee. The heart is inferior to the brain).

  • Lateral (outer): Body parts situated farther from the midline of the body (e.g., the ears are lateral to the nose).

  • Medial (inner): Body parts situated closer to the midline of the body (e.g., the nose is medial to the ears).

  • Proximal: Describes structures on an extremity that are closer to the trunk or point of attachment (e.g., the elbow is proximal to the wrist).

  • Distal: Describes structures on an extremity that are farther from the trunk or nearer to the free end of the extremity (e.g., the fingers are distal to the wrist).

  • Superficial: Closer to or on the surface of the skin (e.g., a paper cut is a superficial injury).

  • Deep: Farther inside the body's tissues, away from the skin (e.g., a fractured bone is a deep injury).

  • Ventral: Refers to the belly side or the anterior surface of the body.

  • Dorsal: Refers to the spinal side or the posterior surface of the body (e.g., the dorsal fin of a dolphin). Often refers to the back of the hand or top of the foot.

  • Anterior: A more commonly used term for the front surface of the body or body part (e.g., the sternum is anterior to the spine).

  • Posterior: A more commonly used term for the back surface of the body or body part (e.g., the spine is posterior to the sternum).

  • Palmar surface: The front region of the hand, also known as the palm.

  • Plantar surface: The bottom (sole) of the foot.

  • Apex (plural: apices): The tip(s) of a structure (e.g., the apex of the heart is its inferior portion, comprising the ventricles; the apices of the lungs are their uppermost parts).

Movement Terms

  • Flexion: The bending of a joint, reducing the angle between two bones (e.g., bending the elbow).

  • Extension: The straightening of a joint, increasing the angle between two bones (e.g., straightening the elbow).

  • Adduction: Motion of a limb or body part towards the midline of the body (e.g., bringing your arm back down to your side).

  • Abduction: Motion of a limb or body part away from the midline of the body (e.g., raising your arm out to the side).

Other Directional Terms

  • Bilateral: Affecting or referring to both sides of the midline (e.g., bilateral lung sounds, bilateral leg pain). Internal structures like the kidneys are bilateral.

  • Unilateral: Affecting or referring to only one side of the body (e.g., unilateral pain in the left arm).

Anatomic Positions for Patients

These standard positions are used for examinations, procedures, and to describe patient presentation.

  • Prone: Lying face down on the stomach (often used for spinal examinations).

  • Supine: Lying face up on the back (common for abdominal examinations, CPR, or surgical procedures).

  • Fowler position: A semi-reclining position with the patient's head elevated to about ext45−60degreesext{45-60 degrees}. Useful for patients in respiratory distress or for comfort.

  • Semi-Fowler position: The patient is sitting at approximately a ext45−degreeangleext{45-degree angle} (a variation of Fowler's, often implying slightly less elevation).

  • High-Fowler position: The patient is sitting upright at approximately a ext90−degreeangleext{90-degree angle}. Provides maximum chest expansion for patients with severe respiratory issues or during eating.

Breaking Terms Apart: A Step-by-Step Approach

  • To determine the meaning of a medical term, define its parts in a specific order:

    1. The suffix (what is the condition, procedure, or disease?)

    2. The prefix (where is it located, how many, what color, etc.?)

    3. The word root (what body part or structure is involved?)

  • Examples:

    • Nephropathy: extnephr/o/pathyext{nephr/o/pathy}

    • ext−pathyext{-pathy}