Medical Terminology

Introduction to Medical Terminology

  • EMTs require a solid understanding of medical terminology for effective communication.

  • Importance of knowing key terms, symbols, and abbreviations.

  • Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by:

    • Understanding the formation of terms.

    • Learning the definitions of term components.

Anatomy of a Medical Term

  • Medical terms consist of distinct parts, and altering these parts can change the meaning of the word.

    • Components of Medical Terms:

    • Word Root

    • Prefix

    • Suffix

    • Combining vowels

  • Examples of how term components affect meaning:

    • E-phasia (speaking) and -phagia (eating/swallowing).

    • Dys- means difficulty or pain →

    • Dysphasia = difficulty speaking

    • Dysphagia = difficulty eating/swallowing

  • Accurate spelling is vital for clear communication.

Word Roots

  • The core part of the term, conveying its essential meaning, often related to body parts.

  • Example:

    • Cardiopulmonary

    • Cardio: root for "heart"

    • Pulmon: root for "lungs"

Prefixes

  • Placed at the beginning of a word, usually indicating location or intensity, giving specificity to the word root.

Common Direction, Movement, & Position Terms

  • Anatomic Positions:

    • Semi-Fowler: Sitting at 48° angle

    • High-Fowler: Sitting upright at 90° angle

Breaking Terms Apart

  • Use parts of the term to decipher meaning:

    • Define in this sequence: Suffix → Prefix → Word Root

  • Abbreviations, Acronyms, & Symbols:

    • Essential shorthand for quick communication; however, precision is crucial.

    • Only use widely accepted acronyms to reduce errors.

    • Be familiar with abbreviations relevant to your service area.

Directional Terms

  • Ventral: Belly side (anterior surface)

  • Dorsal: Spinal side (posterior surface)

  • Anterior: Front of the body

  • Posterior: Back of the body

  • Other directional terms:

    • Palmar: Palm of the hand

    • Plantar: Bottom of the foot

Movement Terms

  • Flexion: Bending of a joint

  • Extension: Straightening of a joint

  • Adduction: Motion towards the midline

  • Abduction: Motion away from the midline

  • Bilateral: Both sides of the midline

  • Unilateral: One side only

Special Word Parts

  • Roots describing color:

    • Cyan/o: blue

    • Leuk/o: white

    • Erythro: red

    • Melan/o: black

Additional Directional Terms

  • Proximal: Closer to the trunk

  • Distal: Farther from the trunk

  • Superior: Nearer to the head

  • Inferior: Nearer to the feet

  • Lateral: Farther from the midline

  • Medial: Closer to the midline

  • Superficial: Nearer to or on the skin

  • Deep: Farther inside the body

Suffixes

  • Typically appear at the end of a word, indicating a procedure, condition, or part of speech.

  • A combining vowel (usually "o") is used to connect word roots to suffixes or additional word roots, especially when a suffix starts with a consonant.

Word Building Summary of Rules

  • Prefixes are at the beginning and suffixes at the end of terms.

    • Use a combining vowel when:

    • The suffix begins with a consonant.

    • A term has multiple word roots.

  • Plural Endings:

    • Usually, add an "s" (e.g., lung to lungs).

    • Specific changes for Latin/Greek endings (e.g., vertebra to vertebrae).

Special Word Parts (Continued)

  • Prefixes may also indicate numbers or color, and certain prefixes signify quantity or sides (uni-, bi-, multi-, etc.).