1. Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 1
2. Objectives
Responding Appropriately to instructions which
contain Basic Medical Terminology.
Receive, understand and document written and oral instructions.
Including checklists.
Understand medical term abbreviations
Understand policy and procedures for medical terms
Seek clarification when necessary.
Carry out routine Tasks:
Use Medical Terminology correctly and seek assistance when
required
Communicate effectively using oral / written medical terms
Clients, Fellow workers and Health Professionals
Spelling and Pronounced correctly
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3. When would HealthTerminology be
used?
Patients notes
General documents within the health environment
(Assessment charts, Handover notes)
Care Plans
Verbal Handovers
Giving information
Receiving Information
Research material
Resources
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4. Strategies for New words
Read it , Read it again then read it out
aloud
Find out the meaning
Understand the meaning
Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 4
5. Understanding Medical terms better?
Don’t assume- Ask the question if you didn’t hear
correctly or don’t understand something.
Listen carefully- concentrate
Double check your spelling- Simple errors can
make a huge difference. ( see list of misspelled
words).
Get yourself a portable medical dictionary-
highlight the common words you use or misspell .
Listen to people
Spell it, Say it, write it and explain it’s meaning to
someone
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6. Understanding Health terms
Find different resources to view and hear Health
terminology
Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 6
8. Guidelines for Pronunciation
Writing and Saying medical terminology is
very different.
To learn how to pronounce medical words
you will need to say them out aloud
Use a good medical dictionary that has how
to pronounce the words. It will have the
breakdown of the word and look like this :
Addiction (say: uh-dik-shun)
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9. Pronunciation of medical terminology
Find an internet site that has audio pronunciation and listen
and practice. Here is one you can start with.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/resources/pronunciation
s/index/a.html
Listen to others in the medical field and how they pronounce
words, You can also listen to TV shows and watch medical videos
to also here how it is said.
Best of all practice , practice and practice
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10. Health Terminology
Let’s have a look at some areas
with HealthTerminology
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11. Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 11
12. Health Terminology in a Hospital setting
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15. Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 15
16. Medical Specialists
Definitions Of Medical
Specialties Handout is available
in the resource section in
Blackboard.
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17. Health Terminology: Basic Word
Structure
Objectives
relate the study of medical terms to the study of a foreign
language
list all the possible component parts of a medical term,
including the root, combining vowel, prefix, and suffix.
build medical terms with a variety of component parts by
following the rules for forming and spelling medical terms.
define medical terms by analyzing their component parts.
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18. The Language of Medicine
Studying medical terminology is very similar to learning a new language.
This is because most medical terms stem from Greek or Latin origins.
Other languages, such as German and French, have also influenced
medical terminology.
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Andrews 18
19. The Components of Medical Terms
Medical terms are like individual
jigsaw puzzles. They are
constructed from small pieces
(prefixes, combining forms, and
suffixes) that make each term
unique.
Once you understand the basic
medical term structure and how
these components fit together,
you will be able to “build” almost
any medical term.
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Andrews 19
20. Start with the ROOT of the term
The root is the foundation of the medical term. All medical terms have
one or more roots.
Examples of medical term roots are:
lip which means “fat”
hemat which means “blood”
cardi which means “heart”
gastr which means “stomach”
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Andrews 20
21. The combining vowel (usually o) is used to link the root to the suffix or
the root to another root. The combining vowel has no meaning of its
own. When a vowel is linked to a root, this combination is called a
combining form.
lip + o = lipo = the combining form of “fat”
When the suffix begins with a vowel, the combining vowel is dropped.
lip + φ + oid = lipoid (“resembling fat”)
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22. …Now add the SUFFIX
The suffix is the term ending. All medical terms have a suffix.
Examples of medical term suffixes are:
–emia which means “blood condition”
–itis which means “inflammation”
–logy which means “study of”
–ic which means “pertaining to”
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23. The prefix is a small part that is attached to the beginning of a term.
Not all medical terms contain prefixes, but if present, the prefix can
have an important influence on the meaning of the term.
Examples of medical term prefixes are:
hyper- which means “above or excessive”
peri- which means “around or surrounding”
epi- which means “upon, above, or beside”
endo- which means “within”
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24. You’ve got a medical term!
Prefix + Root + Vowel + Suffix = Medical Term
hemat o logy hematology
epi gastr φ ic epigastric
cardi o pathy cardiopathy
peri cardi φ itis pericarditis
lip φ oma lipoma
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25. a. A combining vowel is used to join root to root as well as root to any
suffix beginning with a consonant:
electr + o + cardi + o + gram = electrocardiogram
root + vowel + root + vowel + suffix (electrical record of the heart)
b. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix that begins with a
vowel:
vas + φ + ectomy = vasectomy
root + no vowel + suffix beginning with (excision of a vessel)
a vowel
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26. You can usually define a term by interpreting the suffix first, then the
prefix (if present), then the succeeding root or roots. For example:
hyper lip emia = hyperlipemia
prefix root suffix medical term
blood blood condition of
excessive fat
condition excessive fat
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27. You Gotta Have Heart…
The following are examples and definitions of the various medical terms
that can be formed using the root “cardi” (heart):
Root/Suffix Prefix/Root/Suffix Combining Form/Suffix
cardi/ac epi/cardi/um cardi/o/logy
heart/pertaining to upon/heart/tissue heart/study of
(pertaining to the heart) (tissue upon the heart) (study of the heart)
Combining Form/ Prefix/Prefix/Root/Suffix Prefix/Combining Form/Root/Suffix
Combining Form/Suffix peri/cardi/o/mediastin/itis
electr/o/cardi/o/gram sub/endo/cardi/al surrounding/heart/mediastinum/
electricity/heart/record beneath/within/heart/ inflammation
(electrical record of the pertaining to (inflammation of the area
heart) (pertaining to beneath surrounding the heart and the
and within the heart) mediastinum)
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28. See if you can pick the correct definition for the following terms:
pericarditis the study of blood
epigastric pertaining to the interior of the abdomen
hematology inflammation surrounding the heart
endoabdominal pertaining to the area above the stomach
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29. Here are the correct term-definition matches:
pericarditis inflammation surrounding the heart
epigastric pertaining to the area above the stomach
hematology the study of blood
endoabdominal pertaining to the interior of the abdomen
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30. The important components of medical terms are:
• Root: foundation of the term
• Suffix: word ending
• Prefix: word beginning
• Combining vowel: vowel that links the root to the suffix of the root to another root.
Remember
• Read the meaning of medical terms from the suffix back to the beginning and then across.
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31. Studying medical terminology Which of the following is not
is like learning a new ____ a medical term component?
a language a root
b dance step b suffix
c math skill c consonant
d sport d combining vowel
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32. The ___ is the foundation of The root plus vowel
the medical term. combination is called the ___
a suffix a prefix
b root b suffix
c prefix c medical term
d vowel d combining form
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33. Health Terminology and the body:
Anatomy
Ana/tomy comes from Greek word anatome meaning
cutting apart.
Anatomy is the study of naming body structures.
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34. Skeletal
system
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Andrews 34
35. Health Terminology and the body
Femor/o = Femur
Thigh bone, the longest bone in the body
Femoral: Pertaining to femoral (thigh) bone
Calcane/o = Calcaneus
Calcaneum = Calcaneus bone, a heel bone
Calcanealgia: Pain in the heel
ilium ili/o
ili/ac crest is in pelvis
Note: ileum ile/o is a part of small intestine,
Stern/o = Sternum
Sternalgia, Sternodynia: Pain in the sternum
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36. Health Terminology and the body
Spine
Cervical - Cervic/o
Thoracic – Thorac/o
Lumbar - Lumb/o
Sacral - Sacr/o
Coccygeal - Coccyg/o
Example: similar /different
•Cervic/al: Pertaining to neck
•Cervix is the neck of the uterus
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37. Practice…
The joint between the sacrum and the ilium
Sacr/o/ili/ac joint = Sacroiliac joint
Pertaining to the thorax and lumbar spines
Thorac/o/lumbar = Thoracolumbar
Pertaining to the sacrum and the sciatic nerve
Sacr/o/sciat/ic = Sacrosciatic
Removal of the coccy
Coccyg/ectomy = Coccygectomy
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38. Anatomical Position
The science of anatomy describes all aspects of
motion from the frame of reference of the
anatomical position.
The anatomical position is described as:
Body upright in the vertical axis
Legs and feet parallel
Arms hanging by sides
Palms and face are directed forward
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39. Anatomical Position
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/e/e5/Body_chart.jpg
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40. Property of CY O’Connor Institute – Author Shona Andrews 40
41. Superficial =
at the body’s
surface. Superficial
Deep
Deep =
farthest from
the body’s
surface http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/images/ency/fullsize/8912.jpg
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42. Body Regions
Body regions identify areas that have a special nerve
or vascular supply or those that perform a special
function.
The most widely used terms are those used to
describe the regions in the abdomen and also the
abdominal quadrants.
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43. Body Regions –
Abdominal Regions
The Abdominal area is
divided up into nine http://gastroresource.
regions: com/GITextbook/en/i
Right and Left mages/imgchp1/fig6.g
Hypochondriac if
Epigastric
Right and Left Lumbar
(Lateral)
Umbilical
Right and Left Iliac
(Inguinal) http://gastroresource.com/GITextbook/en/images/imgchp1/fig6.gif
Hypogastric (pubic)
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44. Reference Planes
Reference Planes are imaginary lines used to section the body and
it’s organs.
These lines can run either longitudinally, horizontally, and on an
angle.
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45. Reference Planes
The median sagittal plane passes through
the centre of the body, dividing it into two
equal right and left halves.
The frontal plane, also called the coronal
plane, passes at a right angle to the medial
plane, dividing the body into front and
back portions.
The transverse, or horizontal plane is at
a right angle to both the median and
frontal planes; it divides the body into
upper (superior or cephalic) and lower
(inferior or caudal) sections.
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46. Body Cavities
Body cavities are
spaces within the
body that contain
internal organs.
There are two main
cavities which are
called the dorsal and
ventral cavities.
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47. BODY SYSTEMS
OSTEO- BONES
ARTHRO- JOINTS
CHONDRO- CARTILAGE
MYO – MUSCLES
CARDIO-HEART
PHLEB- VEINS
ARTERIO- ARTERIE
HEPATO-LIVER
NEPHR- OR REN- KIDNEYS
ENCEPHAL-BRAIN
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48. BODY SYSTEMS
HEMA- OR HEMAT- BLOOD
SPLENO- SPLEEN
NAS-NOSE
PNUEMO-LUNGS
ORO-MOUTH
GASTRO-STOMACH
ENTERO-SMALL INTESTINE
COLO-LARGE INTESTINE
MYELO-SPINAL CORD
OPTHAL, OR OCUL- EYES
OT-, ACOUST- EARS
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49. BODY SYSTEMS
HEPATO-LIVER
NEPHR- OR REN- KIDNEYS
CYST-, VESSICO- URINARY BLADDER
NEUR- NERVOUS SYSTEM
ENCEPHAL-BRAIN
MYELO-SPINAL CORD
OPTHAL, OR OCUL- EYES
OT-, ACOUST- EARS
CUTAN-, DERMAT– SKIN
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50. Prefix
Prefixes may be divided into various categories of
meaning depending on how they modify the stem,
such as
location,
time,
Negation (countable)
amount,
color,
size, orposition.
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51. Prefix- location
Endo- is a prefix meaning within or inside.
Metro is the stem meaning uterus.
Endometritis, then, is a word which means
inflammation __________ the uterus.
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52. Prefix- location
Peri- is a prefix which means around or surrounding.
Cardio is the stem for heart.
Pericarditis, then, is a word which means
inflammation __________ the heart.
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53. Prefix -time
The prefixes ante- and pre- mean before.
By combining the prefix ante-with the stem partum,
you know that antepartum means __________
childbirth.
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54. Prefix -time
The prefix post- also means after.
Consequently, a postoperative complication is a
complication which occurred ____________ surgery.
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55. Prefix –Negation (countable)
The prefixes a- or- an mean without or
absence of.
Therefore, afebrile means __________ fever.
The stem esthesia means feeling. Therefore,
anesthesia means __________ feeling.
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56. Prefix-Amount
Uni- and mono- are prefixes which mean one or
single. Monocyte, for example, refers to a
__________ cell. A unicycle has one wheel.
Bi- is a prefix indicating the number two. Bi-
lateral, then, refers to __________ sides. A bicycle
has two wheels
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57. Prefix-Amount
The prefix for three is tri. Therefore, the valve in the
heart which has __________ parts is called the
tricuspid valve. A tricycle has three wheels.
The prefix quadri- means four. A person with
quadriplegia has paralysis in all __________ limbs
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58. Prefix-Amount
The prefixes multi- and poly- mean many or much. A
person with polyneuritis has inflammation of
__________ nerves.
The prefixes hemi- and semi- mean half. A person
with hemiplegia has paralysis on one-______ of the
body.
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59. Prefix-Amount
The prefix hypo- also means too little, or low.
Therefore, a person with hypotension has
__________ blood pressure.
Hyper- is a prefix that is just the opposite of hypo-.
Hyper means above or high. A person with
hypertension, then, has blood pressure above the
normal or __________ blood pressure.
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60. Prefix-Amount
The prefix for fast is tachy-.
A person with tachycardia has an abnormally
__________ heartbeat.
The prefix for slow is brady-.
A person with bradycardia has an abnormally
__________ heartbeat.
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61. Prefix-Colour
The prefix leuko- means white.
A leukocyte, then, refers to a __________ blood cell.
Erythro- is a prefix meaning red.
An erythrocyte, therefore, refers to a __________
blood cell.
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62. Prefix-colour
Cyano- is a prefix meaning blue.
Cyanosis refers to a __________ condition of the skin.
Melano- is a prefix meaning dark or black.
A melanoma is a malignant or __________ tumor.
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63. Prefix-Size
Micro- is a prefix meaning small.
A cyte is a stem meaning cell. A microcyte,
therefore, is a very ______
Macro- is a prefix which means the opposite of
micro-large.
Things that are macroscopic can be seen with the
naked eye. Very large cells are called
__________cytes.
Mega- is also a prefix which means large. A
megacolon is an abnormally __________ colon.
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64. Suffix
Most suffixes are in common use in English, but a few
are peculiar to medicine.
The suffixes most commonly used to indicate disease
are
-itis, meaning inflammation;
-oma, meaning tumor; and
-osis, meaning condition, usually
morbid.
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65. Suffix-diagnosis
The suffix -cele means hernia, protrusion, or tumor.
A gastrocele, then, is a protrusion or __________ of
the stomach.
-emia is the suffix for blood.
A word we are all familiar with is leukemia, which is
an abnormal amount of immature white blood cells.
Hypoglycemia is a low amount of sugar in the
__________.
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66. Suffix-diagnosis
The suffix for inflammation is -itis.
Encephalitis, then, is __________ of the brain.
The suffix for hardening is -sclerosis. The stem for
artery, as you will recall, is arterio. Arteriosclerosis,
then, is __________ of the arteries.
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67. Suffix-Symptons
-algia is a suffix meaning pain. Dentalgia, then, is the
medical term for a __________ in the tooth.
-rrhagia is the suffix meaning excessive flow or
discharge. Thus, hemorrhage is a term meaning
__________ of blood.
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69. Abbreviations
Why would we use them?
Quicker to right
Quicker to say
How would you make sure you were using the
appropriate abbreviations for Your workplace? -
Policies and procedures (see handout of Med
terminology Policy abbreviations)
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70. Abbreviations in action
See if you can work out what each
See if you can work out what each
of the blue abbreviations mean.
of the blue abbreviations mean.
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Andrews 70
71. Pronunciation
Listen to how words are pronounced- You may need to listen more
than once
Repeat it, repeat it and repeat it again until you are comfortable
with the pronunciation
Use it on its own and then in a sentence
Knowing the meaning of the words you are saying make it easier to
pronounce
Break the word into syllables to help in the understanding of the
words
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72. Web sites that may help
Jukebox
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=GEN504
Abbreviations with sound
http://nursing.flinders.edu.au/students/studyaids/clinicalcomm
unication/page_glossary.php?id=13
Medical words with sound
http://ec.hku.hk/mt/pronunciation4.asp
Pronunciation site
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/resources/pronunciations/index/a.html
Abbreviations
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/about/front/medterms.html?
qt=terminology&alt=sh
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73. Documentation requirements
legible, concise, accurate, relevant, in chronological order
and current
Only abbreviations listed on the agency approved
abbreviation list should be used.
Should any errors in documentation require correction, a
neat line should be ruled through the entry and ‘written in
error’ stated followed by the date, name and designation
of the author. Correction fluid should never be used on
any documentation in health records.
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74. Think about how we communicate within different
health Roles:
Client colleagues Other
Professionals
Information given Uncomplicated More complex complex language
language language within their role
Face to face, Face to face, Face to face,
Channel used written written, verbal, written, verbal,
recorded, electronic
electronic
Amount of Minimal More information Specific
information given information (as in detail information for
needed) their role
Your role Confidentiality , Know when and Know your role
Know what you what to report to and
are permitted to senior staff responsibilities
say within your
role
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75. Remember
You wont remember every word that you hear or
see and your not expected to.
The more words you see, hear and say the more
you will remember
Practice using the correct terminology whenever
you can.
Make it your plan to listen carefully whenever the
opportunity arrives to hear medical/health
terminology
Say words out aloud , even if you have to read to
your dog or cat it is good practise.
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After so what would POSTPARTUM mean = after childbirth
Without Without or absent of
Single Two Can you give me any more examples of where the prefix of UNI or BI are used ? UNILATERAL – one side of the body/
Pronunciation site http://www.merck.com/mmhe/resources/pronunciations/index/a.html Abbreviations http://www.merck.com/mmhe/about/front/medterms.html?qt=terminology&alt=sh