Download Medical Terminology

Medical Terminology
And
Frequently Used Abbreviations
Objectives
 The student will be able to analyze medical terminology to
determine the meaning of medical terms describing patients’
conditions, symptoms, diagnostic tests and surgical
procedures
 The student will be able to understand commonly used
medical abbreviations
 The student will be able to list certain abbreviations which
are to be avoided.
Medical Terms You Probably Know
 Appendectomy
 Tonsillitis
 Inflammation
 Umbilical
 Mammogram
Medical Terms You Will Be Able to analyze and
understand after this class
 EGD or Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
 ERCP or Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
 Nephrolithiasis
 Hip Arthroplasty and Hip Arthroscopy
 Hemoptysis
 Thoracentesis
 Hyperplasia
 Tachycardia
 Pneumonectomy
 BSO or Bilateral Salpingoophorectomy
Categories of Medical Terms
Descriptive: describes the shape, color, size, function

Example: Erythrocyte (Erythr means red, cyte
means cell)
2. Eponyms: terms named after a person (usually the first
person to discovered or described a disease or organ)
 Example: Eustachian tubes are named after
Bartolommeo Eustachii; Alzheimer’s disease is
named after Alois Alzheimer, MD.
1.
Categories of Medical Terms
 3. Acronyms: An abbreviation that forms a





pronouncible word
Examples:
CAT or computerized axial tomography
SOAP: subjective, objective, analysis, plan
CABG: coronary artery bypass graft
PERRLA: pupils equally round, reactive to
light and accommodation
Test
 How did we get the name “Foley Catheter”
Test
 How did we get the name “Salmonella”?
Answers
 Dr. Frederick Foley (1891-1966)
 Dr. Daniel Salmon (1850-1914)
Test: Acronyms
 What do you think the initials PICU stand for?
 How about GERD?
Basic Parts of Medical Words
Roots: usually the middle of the word and its central
meaning
2. Prefix: a syllable at the beginning of the word which
usually identifies some subdivision or part of the central
meaning
3. Suffix: comes at the end of the central meaning and refers
to what or who is interacting or what is happening
regarding it.
1.
Prefix
Root
Suffix
• beginning of the word
• identifies some subdivision or part of the
central meaning
• middle of the word
• its central meaning
• end of the word
• what is happening or who is referred to
Example
 Myocarditis
 Root: card (referring to the heart)
 Prefix: myo (referring to the muscle)
 Suffix: itis (inflammation)
Meaning: inflammation of the muscle layer of the heart
Read the meaning of medical terms from the suffix, back to the
beginning of the term, and then across.
Myocarditis
Changes
 Prefix change:
Pericarditis (inflammation of the outer layer of the heart)
Endocartitis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart)
 Suffix change:
Cardiologist ( a physician specializing in the heart)
Cardiomyopathy (damage to heart muscle layer)
Cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart)
Pericarditis
Endocarditis
Also: Combining vowels
 Usually is the letter “O” but may be A, E, I, U or Y
 Usually has no meaning of its own but is used to connect the
root and the suffix or two roots and two suffixes
 Example: ELECTR O CARDI O GRAM
GASTR O ENTER ITIS
Examples
 GASTR O ENTER O LOGY
(ROOT)
(ROOT)
(SUFFIX)
 GASTR O SCOPE
(ROOT)
(SUFFIX)
 GASTR IC
(ROOT)
(SUFFIX)
 GASTR O ENTER ITIS
(ROOT)
(ROOT)
(SUFFIX)
Plurals
Words ending in a, retain the a add ae :
vertebra - vertebrae
2. Words ending in is, drop the is and add es:
Diagnosis - diagnoses
3. Words ending in ex or ix, drop the ex or ix and add ices: apex apices
4. Words ending in on, drop the on and add a:
ganglion - ganglia
5. Words ending in um, drop the um and add a:
bacterium - bacteria
6. Words ending in us, drip the us and add i:
bronchus - bronchi
1.
Terms for Body Systems:
Cardiovascular
 angi/o
 aorto/o
 arteri/o
 cardi/o
 coron/o
 phleb/o
 ven/o
vessel
aorta
artery
heart
heart
vein
vein
Terms for Body Systems: Digestive
 an/o
 append/o
anus
appendix
 cholecyst/o gallbladder
 col/o
colon
 duoden/o
duodenum
 esophag/o
esophagus
 gastr/o
stomach
 hepat/o
liver
 ile/o
ileum
Terms for Body Systems: Digestive
 jejun/o
jejunum
 or/o
mouth
 pancreat/o pancreas
 pharyng/o
pharynx
 proct/o
anus and rectum
 rect/o
rectum
 sigmoid/o
sigmoid
 stomat/o
mouth
Terms for Body Systems: Endocrine
 adren/o









adrenal
hypophys/o pituitary
oophor/o
ovary
ovari/o
ovarian
orchi/o
testis
pancreat/o pancreas
parathyroid/o
parathyroid
pituitar/o
pituitary
thym/o
thymus
thyroid/o
thyroid
Terms for Body Systems: Reproductive
 cervic/o
 vagin/o
 hyster/o
 mamm/o
 uter/o
 oophor/o
 salping/o
 balan/o
 orch/o
 prostat/o
 scrot/o
cervix
vagina
uterus
breast
uterine
ovary
fallopian tube
penis
testis
prostate
scrotum
Terms for Body Systems:
Musculoskeletal
 arthr/o
joint
cartilage
rib
skull
ligament
 chondr/o
 cost/o
 crani/o
 ligament/o
 my/o
 muscul/o
 myel/o
 oste/o
 pelv/o
 vertebr/o
muscle
muscle
bone marrow
bone
pelvis
vertebra
Terms for Body Systems: Nervous
System
 cerebell/o
 cerebr/o
cerebellum
cerebrum
 encephal/o brain
 medull/o
 myel/o
 neur/o
medulla
spinal cord
nerve
Terms for Body Systems: Respiratory
 alveol/o
alveolar
bronchial tube
blue
larynx
 bronch/o
 cyan/o
 laryng/o
 nas/o
 rhin/o
 pharyng/o
 phren/o
 pneumon/o
 tonsill/o
 trache/o
nose
nose
pharynx
diaphragm
lung
tonsils
trachea
Terms for Body Systems: Eye, Ear,
Nails, Skin












aur/o
ot/o
cutane/o
derm/o
myring/o
ocul/o
onych/o
ophthalm/o
pil/o
retin/o
trich/o
ungu/o
ear
ear
skin
skin
eardrum
eye
nail
eye
hair
retina
hair
nail
Terms for Body Systems: Urinary
 cyst/o
 nephr/o
 ren/o
 pyl/o
 ureter/o
 urethr/o
urinary bladder
kidney
renal
renal pelvis
ureter
urethra
Test: Identify the type of specialist
 Neurolgist
 Orthopedist
 Pathologist
 Urologist
 Pulmonologist
Prefixes: At the beginning of a word







Prefix
Meaning
A, anno, not, without
Ab
away from
Ad
toward
Ana
up, apart
Ante before, forward
Anti
against
Bi
two, both
Example
Apnea
abduction
adduction
analysis
antepartum
antibody
bilateral
Prefixes
 Brady
 Circum
 Con
 Contra
 Dia
 Dys
slow
bradycardia
around
circumoral
with, together
congenital
against
contraindicated
complete
diarrhea
bad, painful, difficult dysuria
abnormal
dyspnea
Prefixes
 Ec







out, outside
Endowithin, in, inner
Epi
above, upon
Ex
out
Extra
extra
Hemi
half
Hyper
too much, above
Hypo
deficient, too little
ectopic pregnancy
endoscopy
epidermis
excision
extrahepatic
hemiplegia
hyperthyroidism
hypothermia
Prefixes
 In
 Inter
 Intra
 Mal
in, into
between
within
bad
 Megabig
 Meta change, beyond
 Micro
 Neo
small
new
incision
intervertebral
intravenous
malignant
megakaryocyte
metastasis
microscopic
neonatal
Prefixes
 Para
 Peri
 Poly
 Post
 Pre
 Pro
 Pros
beside, near,
alongside of
surrounding
many, much
after, behind
before
before, forward
before, forward
parathyroid
periosteum
polyuria
postpartum
precancerous
prolapse
prosthesis
Prefixes
 Quadri





four
Re
back, behind
Retroback, behind
Sub
under, less than
Syn
with, together
Tachy
Fast
 Trans
 Tri
quadriplegia
relapse
retroperitoneal
subcutaneous
syndrome
tachycardia
across, throughtransabdominal
three
tricuspid valve
Suffixes: at the end of a word
 SUFFIX









MEANING
EXAMPLE
al
pertaining to
neural
algia pain
arthralgia
cyte
cell
leukocyte
ectomy
removal, excision
gastrectomy
emia blood conditionleukemia
globin
protein
hemoglobin
gram record (xray)
arthrogram
ia
condition
hyperglycemia
ic
pertaining to
gastric
Suffixes
 ism







condition, process
hypothyroidism
itis
inflammation appendicitis
logist
specialist in the neurologist
study of
logy
study of
neurology
oma tumor, mass
hepatoma
opsy to view
biopsy
osis
abnormal condition nephrosis
plasty
surgical repair arthroplasty
(with hardware)
Suffixes
 scope
visual exam with
an instrument
visual exam
 scopy
o
 sis
gastroscope
arthroscopy
(with an instrument)
state of
 tomycutting into,
incision
 uni
one
prognosis
appendectomy
unilateral
Test
 What do you think is the name of the surgical
procedure pictured in the next slide?
Common abbreviations
 Abd
 Ac
 Ad lib
 AKA
 A&O
 Assist
 BKA
 Bid
abdomen
before meals
freely as desired
above the knee amputation
alert and oriented
assistance
below the knee amputation
twice a day
Common abbreviations
 Bm









bowel movement
BP
blood pressure
BS bowel sounds, breath sounds, blood sugar
BSC
bedside commode
bx
biopsy
ˉc
with
CBC
complete blood count
Cath
catheter
Cm
centimeter
c/o
complains of
Common abbreviations
 CO2
 C&S
 CXR
 D/C
 DNR
 DOB
 DOE
 Dx
carbon dioxide
culture and sensitivity
chest x-ray
discontinue, discharge
do not resuscitate
date of birth
dyspnea on exertion
diagnosis
Common abbreviations
 F/U
 Fx
 G
 GI
 Hr
 Hbg
 Hct
 Hx
follow-up
fracture
gram
gastrointestinal
hour
hemoglobin
hematocrit
history
Common abbreviations
 I&D
 I&O
 IM
 IV
 K
 L
 Lat
 LOC
 LQ
incision and drainage
intake and output
intramuscular
intravenous
potassium
left
lateral
level of consciousness
lower quadrant (of abdomen)
Common abbreviations
 m
 mg
 ml
 mm
 Na
 NKA
 N &V
 O2
 OOB
meter; milli (one thousandth)
milligram
millileter
millimeter
sodium
no known allergies
nausea and vomiting
oxygen
out of be
Common abbreviations
 p
 P
 pc
 Per
 po
 POD #
 Prep
 Prn
 Pt
 Px
after
pulse
after meals
by
by mouth
post-op day #
prepare for
as needed
patient
prognosis
Common abbreviations
 q
 Qid
 R
 Rx
 Sig
 SOB
 Stat
 Sub-q
 Sx
every
4 times a day
right
treatment, prescription
directions or medical instructions
shortness of breath
immediately
subcutaneous
surgery
Common abbreviations
 T
 Tab
 Tid
 T,P,R
 Tx
 UA
 UQ
 VS
temperature
tablet
3 times a day
temp, pulse, respirations
treatment
urinalysis
upper quadrant (of abdomen)
vital signs
Common abbreviations
 VSWNL
 WBC
 WNL
 Wt
 w/u
 Y, yr
 y/o
vital signs within normal limits
white blood cell (count)
within normal limits
weight
workup
year
year(s) old
Common Symbols
 <
 >
 =
 ≈
 ↑
 ↓
 ∆
 ♀
 ♂
less than
more than
equals
approximately
increase
decrease
change
female
male
Abbreviations to be avoided
 MS4 write “Morphine”
 OD
 OS
 OU
 Qd
 QOD
 .1
 1.0
 Gtt.
 HS
write “right eye”
write “left eye”
write “ both eyes”
write “daily”
write “every other day”
write “0.1”
write “1”
write “drop”
write “at bedtime”