Introduction to Medical Terminology Medical Terminology
Medical Terminology or Med Terms is the vocabulary used the world of healthcare. There are various components of Med Terms Abbreviations Prefixes Suffixes Root Words Acronyms
Abbreviations Are shortened forms of words, usually just letters. Sometimes abbreviations may be just a letter that represents a word Can be combined to create a order or direction Some abbreviations are symbols
Examples a - before p - after c - with s - without Some letters have a line over the letter and some do not
Letters of Abbreviations abd – abdomen bil – lateral ck – check ea – each in- inch prn – whenever necessary
Used as a Direction ck TPR q4h Check Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration every four hours Shorten version to give a direction, saves time and easier to write
Symbols in Healthcare ♂ male increase or above number less than change
Examples of Using Symbols in Healthcare 23 y/o ♂ - 23 year old male Hold med if BP 90/60 – hold medication if blood pressure less than 90 over 60.
Prefixes A syllable or word placed at the beginning of a word or used Usually serves to define a root word Example hypotension »Low pressure
Suffixes A syllable or word placed at the end of a word or used Usually describes what is happening to the root word Example: appendicitis » inflammation of the appendix
Root Words Can be defined as a main word or represents a word Vowels are sometimes used to join together prefix, root word or suffix Vowels are not used if the letter is a part of another part of the medical term Common examples a, e, i, ia, io, o, u
Examples of Using Root Words Gastro - stomach Cardio – heart Ren – kidney Quad - four
Putting Med Terms Together Pseudoappenicits – false inflammation of the appendix Gastroentitis – inflammation of the stomach
Learning Med Terms Making index cards as flash cards Practice using Creating games and using the internet games Suggested site: Making index cards as flash cards Practice using Creating games and using the internet games Suggested site: