Medical Terminology: Respiratory System and Pulmonology

Medical Terminology in the Respiratory System and Pulmonology

Key Prefixes and Suffixes

  • Pne/o (-pnea)

    • Definition: Breathing

  • Pneum/o

    • Definition: Air (lung)

  • Pneumon/o

    • Definition: Lung

Main Anatomy of the Respiratory System

  • Nose and Mouth

  • Trachea

  • Alveoli

  • Bronchial Tubes

  • Diaphragm

Common Terms Related to Breathing

  • A/pnea

    • Definition: Absence of breathing

  • Dys/pnea

    • Definition: Difficult breathing

  • Tachy/pnea

    • Definition: Rapid breathing

  • Brady/pnea

    • Definition: Slow breathing

  • Ortho/pnea

    • Definition: Able to breathe only when sitting or standing

Lung-Related Terms

    • Pneumon/ectomy: Excision of part or all of a lung

    • Pneumon/o/tomy: Incision of a lung

    • Pneumon/o/pathy: Any disease of the lungs

    • Pneumon/o/rrhagia: Hemorrhage of a lung

    • Pneumon/ia: Acute inflammation of the lungs caused by a variety of organisms and viruses

    • Pneumon/itis: Inflammation of the lungs

  • Surgical Procedures

    • Pneumon/o/centesis

    • Definition: Surgical puncture of a lung to remove fluid

    • Thorac/o/centesis

    • Definition: Surgical puncture of the chest to remove fluid

    • Pneumon/o/pexy

    • Definition: Surgical fixation of lung tissue

Atelectasis

  • Definition: Atel/ectasis, meaning imperfect expansion of the lungs, also referred to as a collapsed lung.

    • Components:

    • Ateles: Means "imperfect" in Greek

    • Ektasis: Means "expand" or "dilate" in Greek

    • Suffixes:

      • -ectasia, -ectasis: Indicating dilation or expansion

Fungal-related Terms

  • Myc/o = Fungus

    • Dermat/o/myc/osis: Fungal disease of the skin

    • Related Root: Myces = Mushroom

    • Pneumon/o/myc/osis: Fungal disease of the lungs

    • Pharyng/o/myc/osis: Fungal disease of the pharynx (throat)

    • Rhin/o/myc/osis: Fungal disease of the nose

Air Related Terms

  • Pneum/o = Air

    • Pneum/o/thorax: Collection of air in the chest cavity, leading to a collapsed lung

    • Pneum/o/meter: An instrument that measures air volume in respiration

    • Pneum/o/ser/o/thorax: Collection of air and serum in the chest cavity

    • Pneum/o/hem/o/thorax: Collection of air and blood in the chest cavity

    • Pneum/o/py/o/thorax: Collection of air and pus in the chest cavity

Pulmonary Terminology

  • Pulmon/o = Lung

    • Pulmon/ary, Pulmon/ic: Pertaining to lungs

    • Pulmon/ary or Pulmon/ic valve: Heart valve through which blood travels to the lungs

    • Blood travels from heart to lungs via the pulmon/ary or pulmon/ic artery.

    • Pulmonary embolus: A blood clot in the lung

Symptoms Related to Breathing

Term

Symptom

A/pnea

Absence of breathing

Dys/pnea

Difficult breathing

Hyper/pnea

Excessive movement of air

Tachy/pnea

Rapid breathing

Brady/pnea

Slow breathing

Ortho/pnea

Able to breathe only when sitting or standing

Hem/o/pty/sis

Expectoration (coughing up) blood

Hyper/ventil/ation

Excessive air movement

Hyp/oxia

Low oxygen in organs and tissues

Cyan/osis

Bluish color due to hypoxia

Airway Route Components

  • Air Route:

    • Nas/o: Nose, nasal cavity

    • Pharyng/o: Pharynx

    • Laryng/o: Larynx

    • Trache/o: Trachea

    • Bronch/o: Bronchi

    • Alveol/o: Alveoli

  • Lungs: Covered by the pleura (Pleur/o)

  • Diaphragm

    • Phren/o: Muscle that assists with inhalation and exhalation.

    • Innervation: Phrenic nerve

Jaw-related Terminology

  • Mandibul/o = Jaw

    • Mandibul/ar: Pertaining to the jaw

    • Micro/mandible: Small jaw

Nasal Terms

  • Nas/o = Nasal cavity

    • Nas/al: Pertaining to the nose (cavity)

    • Nas/itis: Inflammation of the nose (cavity)

    • Nas/o/scope: Instrument to examine the nose (cavity)

    • Inflammations:

    • Nas/o/pharyng/itis: Inflammation of nose and pharynx

    • Nas/o/front/al: Pertaining to the nasal and frontal bone

    • Nas/o/pharyng/eal: Pertaining to the nose and pharynx

Epistaxis

  • Epi- = upon

  • Staxis = dripping or oozing

  • Epi/staxis: Definition: Nosebleed; hemorrhage from the nose.

Pharynx-Related Terms

  • Pharyng/o = Pharynx, Throat

    • Pharynx: Throat

    • Pharyng/o/lith: Calculus in the wall of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/o/myc/osis: Fungus disease of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/itis: Inflammation of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/o/cele: Herniation of the pharynx

    • Procedures:

    • Pharyng/o/tomy: Incision of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/o/pathy: Disease of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/o/plasty: Surgical repair of the pharynx

    • Pharyng/o/scope: Instrument to examine the pharynx

Larynx-Related Terms

  • Laryng/o = Larynx

    • Contains the vocal cords

    • Laryng/itis: Inflammation of the larynx

    • Laryng/o/stomy: Creating a new opening in the larynx

    • Laryng/o/tomy: Incision into the larynx to create a temporary opening

    • Conditions:

    • Laryng/o/cele: Herniation of the larynx

    • Laryng/o/pathy: Any disease of the larynx

    • Laryng/o/scope: Instrument used to examine the larynx

    • Laryng/o/spasm: Spasm of the larynx

Trachea-Related Terms

  • Trache/o = Trachea (Windpipe)

    • Trache/o/rrhagia: Hemorrhage from the trachea

    • Trache/algia: Pain in the trachea

    • Trache/o/tomy: Incision into the trachea

    • Trache/o/cele: Herniation of the trachea

    • Procedures:

    • Trache/o/scopy: Examination of the trachea

    • Trache/al: Pertaining to the trachea

    • Trache/o/laryng/o/tomy: Surgical creation of a new opening in the trachea

    • Trache/ostomy: Creating an opening in the trachea

    • Endo/trache/al: Within the trachea

Bronchi-Related Terms

  • Bronch/o = Bronchi

    • Bronch/itis: Inflammation of the bronchi

    • Bronch/o/scope: An instrument to examine the bronchi

    • Bronch/o/scopy: Examination of a bronchus with an instrument

    • Bronch/o/fiber/o/scopy: Use of a flexible bronchofiberscope to examine the tracheobronchial tree

    • Conditions:

    • Bronch/o/rrhagia: Bronchial hemorrhage

    • Bronch/o/spasm: Spasm of a bronchus

    • Bronch/o/lith: Calculus in a bronchus

Pleura-Related Terms

  • Pleur/o (a) = Pleura

    • Pleur/al: Pertaining to the pleura (membrane around the lungs)

    • Pleur/itis, Pleur/isy: Inflammation of the pleura

    • Pleur/algia: Pain in the pleura

    • Pleur/o/centesis: Surgical puncturing of the pleura

    • Pleur/o/lith: Calculus in the pleura

    • Pleur/ectomy: Excision of part of the pleura

Diaphragm-Related Terms

  • Phren/o = Diaphragm

    • The phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm.

    • Phren/o/plegia: Paralysis of the diaphragm

    • Phren/ectomy: Removal of a portion of the phrenic nerve

Directional Terms

  • Sinistr/o = Left

    • Sinistr/al: Pertaining to the left

    • Sinistr/o/cardi/a: Displacement of the heart to the left

    • Sinistr/o/cerebr/al: Pertaining to the left half of the cerebrum

    • Sinistr/o/man/ual: Left-handed

    • Sinistr/o/ped/al: Left-footed

  • Dextr/o = Right

    • Dextr/al: Pertaining to the right

    • Dextr/o/card/ia: Displacement of the heart to the right

    • Dextr/o/gastr/ia: Displacement of the stomach to the right

    • Dextr/o/man/ual: Right-handed

    • Dextr/o/ped/al: Right-footed

Pediatric and Geriatric Terminology

  • Pedi/a = Child

    • Pedi/a/trician: A physician specialist who treats children

    • Pedi/a/trics: The medical specialty for treatment of diseases of children

  • Ger/i = Old age

    • Ger/ont/o/logy: The study of treatment of aging and the elderly

    • Ger/i/atrics: The medical specialty involving treating diseases related to old age.