Introduction to Medical Terminology

1. 1 Introduction to Medical Terminology

2. Multimedia Directory Slide 52 Medical Transcriptionist Video Slide 54 Patient Histories Video 1 Slide 55 Patient Histories Video 2 Slide 73 HIPAA Video

3. Medical Terminology at a Glance • Studying medical terminology is like learning a new language • Basic rules for building terms will help you both build and translate many different words • You must be able to put words together or build words from their parts • Like piecing together a puzzle

4. Understanding Medical Terms • It is impossible to memorize all of the thousands of medical terms • You can distinguish the meaning of many different words by analyzing the word parts • Word roots • Combining forms • Prefixes • Suffixes

5. Figure 1.1Nurse completing a patient report. Healthcare workers use medical terminology in order to accurately and efficiently communicate patient information to each other.

6. Basic Word Parts • Word rootis the fundamental meaning of the term • Prefixesand suffixes modify the word root • Combining vowelsconnect other word parts • Always exceptions to rules

7. Medical Terms Are Built from Word Parts Word Part Word root Prefix Suffix Combining form Example (Meaning) cardiogram (record of the heart) pericardium (around the heart) carditis (inflammation of the heart) cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)

8. Word Root • Foundationof the term • General meaning of word • Often gives body system or part • cardi = heart • Or may be an action • cis = to cut

9. Word Root • Medical terms may have more than one root • osteoarthritis • Medical terms may be built without a word root • hyper- = prefix meaning excessive • -trophy = suffix meaning development • hypertrophy = excessive development

10. Combining Vowels • Make it possible to pronounce long terms • Usually an “o” • Combine two word parts: • Between two word roots • Between word root and suffix

11. Combining Vowel Rules • Between word root and suffix • If the suffix begins with a vowel • Do not use a combining vowel • Arthritis, not arthroitis • If the suffix begins with a consonant • Use a combining vowel • Arthroscope, not arthrscope

12. Combining Vowel Rules • Combining vowel is typically kept between two word roots • Even if the second word root begins with a vowel • gastroenteritis, not gastrenteritis

13. Combining Form • Typically used to write word roots • Also use the word root/combining vowel format • Examples: • cardi/o • arthr/o • gastr/o

14. Common Combining Forms • aden/o – gland • carcin/o – cancer • cardi/o – heart • chem/o – chemical • cis/o – to cut • dermat/o – skin • enter/o – small intestine • gastr/o – stomach

15. Common Combining Forms • gynec/o – female • hemat/o – blood • hydr/o – water • immun/o – immunity • laryng/o – voice box • nephr/o – kidney • neur/o – nerve • ophthalm/o – eye

16. Common Combining Forms • ot/o – ear • path/o – disease • pulmon/o – lung • rhin/o – nose

17. Prefix • Added to the frontof a term • Adds meaning such as: • location of organ sub- = below • number of parts mono- = one • time (frequency) post- = after

18. Prefix • Not all medical terms have a prefix • When written by itself, followed by a hyphen • intra- • hyper- • multi-

19. Common Prefixes • a- without, away from • an- without • ante- before, in front of • anti- against • auto- self • brady- slow • contra- against • de- without

20. Common Prefixes • dys- painful, difficult, abnormal • endo- within, inner • epi- upon, over • eso- inward • eu- normal, good • ex- external, outward • exo- outward • extra- outside of

21. Common Prefixes • hetero- different • homo- same • hydro- water • hyper- over, above • hypo- under, below • in- not, inward • inter- among, between • intra- within, inside

22. Common Prefixes • macro- • micro- • myo- • neo- • pan- • para- • per- • peri- large small to shut new all beside, near, abnormal, two like parts of a pair through around

23. Common Prefixes • post- after • pre- before, in front of • pro- before • pseudo- false • retro- backward, behind • sub- below, under • supra- above • tachy- fast

24. Common Prefixes • trans- through, across • ultra- beyond, excess • un- not

25. Number Prefixes bi- two hemi- half mono- one multi- many nulli- none poly- many primi- first quadri- four semi- partial, half tetra- four tri- three

26. Suffix • Attached to the endof a term • Adds meaning such as: • condition -algia = pain • disease -itis = inflammation • procedure -ectomy = surgical removal

27. Suffix • All medical terms must have a suffix • Only mandatory word part • When written by itself, precede with a hyphen • -logy • -sclerosis • -cyte

28. Common Suffixes • -algia pain • -cele hernia, protrusion • -cyte cell • -dynia pain • -ectasis dilatation • -gen that which produces • -genesis produces, generates • -genic producing, produced by

29. Common Suffixes • -ia state, condition • -iasis abnormal condition • -iatry medical treatment • -ism state of • -itis inflammation • -logist one who studies • -logy study of • -lysis destruction

30. Common Suffixes • -lytic destruction • -malacia abnormal softening • -megaly enlargement, large • -oid resembling • -oma tumor, mass • -osis abnormal condition • -pathy disease • -phobia fear

31. Common Suffixes • -plasia development, growth • -plasm formation, development • -ptosis drooping • -rrhage excessive, abnormal flow • -rrhagia abnormal flow condition • -rrhea discharge, flow • -rrhexis rupture • -sclerosis hardening

32. Common Suffixes • -stenosis narrowing • -therapy treatment • -trophy nourishment, development • -ule small

33. Adjective Suffixes • Suffix may be used to convert a word root into a complete word • Translation of these suffixes is pertaining to • New word can then be used to modify another word

34. Adjective Suffix Example • To state that a patient has an ulcer in his or her stomach: • gastr/o = stomach • -ic = pertaining to • gastric = pertaining to the stomach • gastric ulcer = ulcer found in the stomach

35. Adjective Suffixes -ac -al -an -ar -ary -atic -nic -ory -ose -ous -tic • -eal • -iac • -ic • -ile • -ine • -ior

36. Surgical Suffixes • -centesis puncture to withdraw fluid • -ectomy surgical removal • -ostomy surgically create an opening • -otomy cutting into • -pexy surgical fixation • -plasty surgical repair • -rrhaphy suture

37. Procedural Suffixes • -gram record or picture • -graph instrument for recording • -graphy process of recording • -meter instrument for measuring • -metry process of measuring • -scope instrument for viewing • -scopy process of visually examining

38. Word Building • Putting together several parts to form a variety of terms to convey the necessary information • Begins with knowing the meaning of the various word parts in order to select the correct ones • Always remember the rules regarding the location of each word part

39. Word Building • For example: • hypo- = below or under • derm/o = meaning the skin • -ic = meaning pertaining to • Combine to form the term: • Hypodermic • Meaning: pertaining to under the skin

40. Interpreting Medical Terms • Term to be translated • gastroenterology • Divide the term into its word parts • gastr / o / enter / o / logy

41. Interpreting Medical Terms • Define each word part • gastr = stomach • o = combining vowel, no meaning • enter = small intestine • o = combining vowel, no meaning • -logy = study of • Combine the meanings of the word parts • study of the stomach and small intestine

42. Pronunciation • Will differ according to place of birth and education • When in doubt, ask for spelling • New terms in the book are introduced in boldface type, with phonetic spelling in parentheses • Stressed syllable will be in capital letters: • pericarditis (per ih car DYE tis)

43. Spelling • Only one correct way to spell a term • Changing one letter can change the meaning of a word • abduction (moving away) versus adduction (moving towards) • ileum (small intestine) versus ilium (hip bone)

44. Same Sounds Spelled Differently • Sounds like si • psy psychiatry • cy cytology • Sounds like dis • dys dyspepsia • dis dislocation

45. Singular and Plural Endings • Many medical terms come from Greek or Latin words • Rules for forming plurals for these languages are different from English • Plural of atrium is atria, not atriums • Other words will use English rules • Plural of ventricle is ventricles

46. General Rules for Plurals Word Ends In -a -ax -ex or -ix -is -ma -nx -on -um -us -y • Singular • vertebra • thorax • appendix • metastasis • sarcoma • phalanx • ganglion • ovum • nucleus • biopsy • Plural • vertebrae • thoraces • appendices • metastases • sarcomata • phalanges • ganglia • ova • nuclei • biopsies

47. Abbreviations • Commonly used to save time • Can be confusing • If you are concerned about confusion, spell out the term • Do not use your own personal abbreviations

48. Figure 1.2Health information professionals maintain accurate, orderly, and permanent patient records. Medical records are securely stored and available for future reference.

49. The Medical Record • Documents details of hospital stay • Patient’s day-to-day condition • When and what services were provided • Response to treatment • All personnel with patient contact complete the appropriate report • Medical records department ensures that all documents are present, complete, signed, and in order

50. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) • A software program • Allows entry of patient information into a computer