Anti- | Against |
Bi- | Two |
De- | Lack of, down, less, removal of |
Echo- | Reflecting sound |
Endo- | Within |
Epi- | Above or on |
Inter- | Between |
Peri- | Surrounding |
Poly- | Many |
Pre- | Before |
Tri- | Three |
Angi/o | Vessel |
Arter/o | Artery |
Arteri/o | Artery |
Atri/o | Atrium |
Capillar/o | Capillary |
Cardi/o | Heart |
Coron/o | Heart |
Diastole/o | Expansion |
Erythr/o | Red |
Hemat/o, hem/o | Blood |
Leuk/o | White |
Mon/o | One, single |
Morph/o | Shape |
My/o | Muscle |
Nucle/o | Nucleus |
Phag/o | Eat, swallow |
Phleb/o | Vein |
Sphygm/o | Pulse |
Systol/o | Contraction |
Thromb/o | Clot |
Vascul/o | Blood vessel |
Ven/o, ven/i | Vein |
Ventricul/o | Ventricle |
-cytes | Cells |
-globin | Protein |
-manometer | Pressure measurement |
-oles | Small |
-plasty | Surgical repair |
-tomy | Process of cutting |
-ules | Small |
AV node | Atrioventricular node |
BP | Blood pressure |
PVD | Peripheral vascular disease |
RBC | Red blood cell |
SA node | Sinoatrial node |
WBC | White blood cell |
A-, an- | Without |
Brady- | Slow |
Con- | With |
Peri- | Surrounding |
Poly- | Many, much |
Tachy- | Fast |
Ather/o | Plaque |
Coron/o | Heart |
Erythr/o | Red |
Isch/o | To hold back, back |
Lip/o | Fat |
Megal/o | Large |
My/o | Muscle |
Orth/o | Straight |
Pector/o | Chest |
Phleb/o | Vein |
Sten/o | Narrowing |
Thromb/o | Clot |
-emia | Blood condition |
-genital | Birth |
-lytic | Breakdown |
-megaly | Enlarged |
-penia | Deficiency |
-poietin | Substance that forms |
-sclerosis | Hardening |
BP | Blood pressure |
CAD | Coronary artery disease |
CHF | Congestive heart failure |
CVA | Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) |
DVT | Deep vein thrombosis |
ECG (or EKG) | Electrocardiogram |
EPO | Erythropoietin |
HDL | High-density lipoprotein |
HF | Heart failure |
LDL | Low-density lipoprotein |
MI | Myocardial infarction (heart attack), mitral insufficiency (this abbreviation could cause confusion; when in doubt, write it out) |
PE | Pulmonary embolism |
PVD | Peripheral vascular disease |
Endo- | Within |
Extra- | Outside |
Re- | Again, back |
Angi/o | Vessel |
Corpor/o | Body |
Fluor/o | Luminous |
-ectomy | Excision, removal, resection |
-pheresis | Removal |
-rrhaphy | Suture |
-stenosis | Narrowing |
ABPI | Ankle-brachial pressure index |
ACLS | Advanced cardiac life support |
AED | Automated external defibrillator |
BLS | Basic life support |
CABG | Coronary artery bypass graft |
CK* | Creatine kinase |
CPK | Creatine phosphokinase |
CPR | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
DSA | Digital subtraction angiography |
ECG (or EKG) | Electrocardiogram |
ECHO | Echocardiogram |
ECMO | Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation |
HDL | High-density lipoprotein |
ICD | Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator |
LDL | Low-density lipoprotein |
MI | Myocardial infarction (heart attack) |
MRA | Magnetic resonance angiography |
PAD | Peripheral artery disease |
PALS | Pediatric advanced life support |
RFA | Radiofrequency ablation |
TAVR | Transcatheter aortic valve replacement |
TPE | Therapeutic plasma exchange |
Bronchi/o | Airway |
Hem/o | Blood |
Laryng/o | Larynx |
Muc/o | Mucus |
Palat/o | Palate |
Pharyng/o | Throat |
Phon/o | Sound |
Pneum/o, pneumon/o | Lungs, air, gas |
Pulmon/o | Lungs |
Thorac/o | Chest |
Trache/o | Trachea |
-globin | Protein |
-oles | Small |
A-, an- | No, without |
Brady- | Slow |
Dys- | Abnormal, bad, difficult, painful |
Epi- | Above, upon, on |
Eu- | Good, normal |
Tachy- | Fast |
Acr/o | Extremities |
Atel/o | Incomplete |
Con/i | Dust |
Cyan/o | Blue |
Hem/o | Blood |
Kyph/o | Humpback |
Pneum/o | Lungs |
Py/o | Pus |
Rhin/o | Nose |
Scoli/o | Crooked, twisted |
Silic/o | Rock |
Tox/o | Poison |
-capnia | Carbon dioxide |
-ectasis | Dilation, widening |
-itis | Inflammation |
-malacia | Softening |
-phonia | Voice, sound |
-plegia | Paralysis |
-pnea | Breathing |
-ptysis | Spitting |
-rrhagia | Bursting forth with blood |
-rrhea | Discharge, flow |
-staxis | Dripping, flowing |
-stenosis | Narrowing |
ARDS | Acute respiratory distress syndrome |
CF | Cystic fibrosis |
COPD | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
CSA | Central sleep apnea |
CWP | Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis |
IRDS | Infant respiratory distress syndrome |
LTB | Laryngotracheobronchitis |
MAS | Meconium aspiration syndrome |
OSA | Obstructive sleep apnea |
PE | Pulmonary embolism |
RF | Respiratory failure |
RSV | Respiratory syncytial virus |
SOB | Shortness of breath |
SIDS | Sudden infant death syndrome |
SUID | Sudden unexpected infant death |
TA | Tracheal atresia |
TB | Tuberculosis |
TEF | Tracheoesophageal fistula |
VAP | Ventilator-associated pneumonia |
Endo- | Within |
Hyper- | Above, excessive |
Trans- | Across |
End/o | In, within |
Ox/i | Oxygen |
Sept/o | Septum wall |
Somn/o | Sleep |
Spir/o | To breathe |
Thorac/o | Chest |
-centesis | Surgical puncture to remove fluid |
-ectomy | Excision, removal, resection |
-meter | Measure |
-plasty | To repair |
-stomy | Create a new opening, mouth |
-tomy | Process of cutting |
AAT | Alpha 1 antitrypsin |
C&S | Culture and sensitivity (test) |
CPAP | Continuous positive airway pressure |
CT | Computed tomography |
CXR | Chest X-ray |
DPI | Dry powder inhaler |
EBUS | Endobronchial ultrasound |
ETT | Endotracheal tube |
IS | Incentive spirometer |
MDI | Metered-dose inhaler |
MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging |
NC | Nasal cannula |
OSA | Obstructive sleep apnea |
PET | Positron emission tomography |
PFM | Peak flow meter |
PFT | Pulmonary function test |
PPD | Purified protein derivative test |
QFT | QuantiFERON-TB Gold |
SVN | Small -volume nebulizer |
TBNA | Transbronchial needle aspiration |
TST | Mantoux tuberculin skin test |
V/Q | Ventilation/perfusion scan |
Extra- | Outside |
Audi/o | Hearing |
Blephar/o | Eyelid, eyelash |
Cerumin/o | Cerumen |
Cochle/o | Cochlea, snail shell-shaped |
Conjunctiv/o | Conjunctiva |
Cor/o, core/o | Pupil |
Corne/o | Cornea |
Cycl/o | Ciliary body of the eye |
Ir/o, irid/o | Iris |
Lacrim/o | Tear, tear duct |
Laryng/o | Larynx |
Ophry/o | Eyebrow |
Ophthalm/o | Eye |
Opt/o | Eye, vision |
Ot/o | Ear |
Phot/o | Light |
Retin/o | Retina |
Scler/o | Sclera, white of the eye |
Sebace/o | Sebum |
Tympan/o | Eardrum |
-ician | Specialist |
-ocular | Eye |
-receptor | Receiver |
ENT | Otolaryngologist |
IOP | Intraocular pressure |
A- | No, without |
Alaos- | Blind |
Eso- | Within |
Nykt- | Night |
Ops- | Eye |
Ambly/o | Dim, dull |
Anis/o | Unequal |
Blephar/o | Eyelid, eyelash |
Cor/o, core/o | Pupil |
Dacryocyst/o | Lacrimal sac, tear sac |
Dermat/o | Skin |
Dipl/o | Double |
Kerat/o | Cornea |
Mastoid/o | Mastoid process located behind the ear |
Myc/o | Fungus |
Ot/o | Ear |
Presby/o | Old age |
Py/o | Pus |
Scot/o | Darkness |
Xer/o | Dry |
-algia | Pain |
-chalasis | Relaxation |
-cusis | Hearing |
-oma | Mass |
-ptosis | Drooping, sag, prolapse |
-rrhea | Flow, discharge |
-rrhagia | Rupture, profuse discharge |
-sclerosis | Hardening |
-stenosis | Narrowing |
-tresia | Opening |
AMD | Age-related macular degeneration |
IOP | Intraocular pressure |
Bi- | Two |
Pachy- | Heavy, thick |
Audi/o | Hearing |
Aur/o | Ear |
Aut/o | Self, own |
Mon/o | One |
Myring/o | Eardrum |
Ton/o | Tension |
Tympan/o | Eardrum |
-al | Pertaining to |
-gram | Record |
-metry | Process of measuring |
-plasty | Surgical repair |
-sclerosis | Hardening |
ABR | Auditory brainstem response |
ALK | Automated lamellar keratoplasty |
CK | Conductive keratoplasty (this abbreviation could cause confusion; when in doubt, write it out) |
dB | Decibels |
ECoG | Electrocochleography |
Hz | Hertz |
ICL | Implantable contact lenses |
Ret | Retinoscopy |
RK | Radial keratotomy |