1. Medical Terminology EMS Program
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
Paramedic Training Division

2. Medical Terminology To effectively communicate: Those who
The Language of medicine
To effectively communicate:
Those who
work in medicine must speak and
understand the same language
A dictionary may be beneficial
A.        Review of common medical terms, their meaning and their correct spelling
B.        Review of commonly-accepted medical abbreviations and their correct spelling
Review of common industry acronyms

3. There are three potential parts of a medical term
Prefix
Root word
Suffix
Not all words contain both prefix and suffix, but most will contain either one or the other.
Tonsil + itis = Tonsillitis
suffix
med term
root

4. Root Words Often refers to an anatomical part
Conveys the essential meaning Ov
Nephr/o
Hemo
Hepat/o
Ocul/o
Chole
Pyret/o
Gastr/o
Pneum/o
Mening/o
Cyst/o
Edem
Neur/o
Alveol/o
Causaligia means burning pain
Partus labor post partum means after birth
Tracho sounds like trachea
Stomato stoma not stomach refers to a small opening

5. Examples of Root-Root words
Sternoclavicular
Musculoskeletal
Genitourinary
Nephro kidney and lith stone
Kidney stone
Two body systems genito urinary reproductive and urinary often placed together.
when 2 root words or a root-suffix are
added, sometimes a combining vowel will be
added to make it easier to speak

6. Prefixes… are never used alone add a quantifier, color or a position
to a word.
Brady-cardia
Tachy-cardia
Apnea
Bilateral
Ambidextrous

7. sometimes a prefix is also a root!
Common Prefixes
above
supra
infra
cost
chole
rib
Bad, painful, difficult
inside
Beneath, under
sub
cyst
dys
endo
olig
gallbladder
scanty/small amount
urinary/bladder/sac of fluid
sometimes a prefix is also a root!
clear as mud~

8. Suffixes… Hematotoxic found at the end of the word to
alter the meaning of the word
describes a condition/diagnosis/disorder/procedure
Hematotoxic

9. Important suffixes otomy to remove ectomy the study of ology pain
surgical incision
itis
ostomy
to create an opening
tracheostomy/colonostomy/ileostomy/nephrostomy
centesis
Inflammation of
odyn/o
break down/separation
lysis
surgical perforation/puncture

10. More important suffixes…..
to repair
algia
pain
emia
a condition
plasty
blood condition
rrhea
drainage
osis or ia

11. And even more suffixes…
pathy
weakness
paresis
urination
rrhagia
disease
uria
tumor
esthesia
breathing
nervous sensation
pnea
oma
bursting forth

12. root to a suffix that begins with a consonant
Combining Vowel
use when joining….
root to root
(gastrohepatitis) OR
root to a suffix that begins with a consonant
(cardiomegaly)

13. Easy & straightforward….right???
Ot/o
Aur/o
Auricul/o
Opthalm/o
Optic/o
Opt/o
osis ic ia
Peri
Ambi
per
circum

14. The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
Pericardiocentesis
The aspiration of fluid from the
pericardium (sac of fluid) around theheart

15. The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
combining vowel
root word (x2)
prefix
Suffix
Costochondritis
Inflammation of the ribs/cartilage

16. The anatomy & dissection of a medical term
Lithotripsy
Endocarditis
Antipyretic
Substernal
Periorbital
lithotripsy-high energy shock waves to break up stones in the urinary tract. Litho/stone & tripsy/crush
Endocarditis-inflammation of the inside lining of the heart/valves
Supraventricular tachycardia
paronychia

17. Common medical terms Idiopathic Hypoglycemia Rales Status epilepticus
Stridor
Syncope
Iatro/physician,treatment
Aphasia/large range from not remembering words to the complete inability to speak
Idiopathic/”a disease of it’s own kind.”
Iatrogenic
Aphasia
Hyperglycemia

18. Anatomical Planes and Positions

19. Anatomical Planes
imaginery straight line divisions
of the body
Frontal or Coronal plane divides anterior (ventral) and posterior (dorsal) (#1)
Sagittal Plane
runs vertically through the body (#2)
Transverse or horizontal plane divides superior and inferior (#3)

20. Anatomical Position
Standing up with the feet and hands facing the examiner
Always refer to the patient’s
left or right, not yours

21. Body Positions

23. or
internal rotation or
external rotation

25. Abbreviations Use only approved abbreviations to avoid confusion
Be mindful of capitalized & lower case letters
Abbreviations can cause legal nightmares
Remember the purpose of documentation

26. The mother called because the child
woke up coughing and appears to have
difficulty breathing.
4 yo child found sitting in a tripod position. Alert, follows commands,skin warm, dry & pink.
RR 12,able to appreciate intermittent episodes of stridor with deep barky cough.
No intercostal or substernal retractions noted.

27. Medical Slang….we have it too 
Hi5
FLB
FLK
PID shuffle
Donut of Death
CKS
Cute Kid Syndrome
Banana bag
Gassers
Acute Pneumoencephalopathy