1. Meds B 60 Sarah Baron, MPH, Ed.D. Sarah.baron@bakersfieldcollege.edu
Medical Terminology
Meds B 60
Sarah Baron, MPH, Ed.D.

2. For Health Care Professionals
Medical Terminology
For Health Care Professionals
8th ed.
Chapters 1-3

3. Learning Outcomes Overview of Med Term goals
Differences between signs/symptoms, prognosis and diagnosis
Understand the method of breaking words apart – decodable and nondecodable
Prefix, root, suffix, combining vowels
Identify one tool to assist with studying
Begin learning a least 10 vocabulary words a day

4. MEDS B 60 Goals
Recognize and identify basic word parts relating to medical terminology.
Analyze word parts to define and build medical terms.
Discuss the anatomy and function of each body system relating to medical terminology.
Identify and define common pathological conditions including signs and symptoms related to medical terminology.
Demonstrate proficiency in the spoken and written language of medicine

5. Learning medical terminology
Is imperative if you want to work in the medical field
Will help you decipher medical reports and information
Will enable you to help your family and friends with health issues

6. The 5 Medical Language Skills
Listening
Understanding what language you hear
and relaying the information
Reading
Medical words and medical reports
You need to practice reading medical language
and thinking about it to become proficient 6

7. The 5 Medical Language Skills
Thinking and Analyzing
How does it apply to your patient or situation
Need to think about the meaning
Learn how and why questions
Speaking
Learn to say the correct pronunciations
Communicate without mistaking your meaning
Writing
Learn to spell correctly
Misspelling could result in mistakes - – such as a wrong procedure done. 7

8. Introduction to Healthcare Terminology
Derivation of Healthcare Terms – mostly from
Greek and Latin (page 3)
Develop large vocabulary by learning decodable word parts and rules that join them together

9. Pathology Diagnosis and Prognosis
Diagnosis is the disease or condition named after evaluating the patient
Acute –begins abruptly and severely and ends after a short time
Chronic –develops slowly and lasts a long time
Prognosis is the prediction of the probable outcome of the disease
Turn to the person next to you and use this in a sentence
Turn to the person next to you and use this word in a sentence 9

10. Pathology Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms are subjective indications of disease
Pain
Signs are objective findings seen or measured
Fever
Take one minute and think of a few others.
Path- disease ology – study
Turn the person next to you and try to think of one symptom and one sign 10

11. Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnostic Procedures -
lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, CAT scan, MRI, others
Therapeutic Interventions –
appropriate treatment for condition, surgical, medication
Instruments – many terms to describe health care instruments or diagnostic instruments such as:
-graph = instrument to record,
-meter, instrument to measure
Think of words with graph in them right now 11

12. Nondecodable Terms
Cannot be divided into component parts, entire definition must be memorized
Asthma (Greek = panting)
Definition: Respiratory disorder characterized by recurring episodes of paroxysmal dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
Cataract (Greek = waterfall)
Definition: Progressive opacification of the lens

13. Eponyms
Named after person who first identified the condition, procedure or devised object.
Example:
Cesarean Section
Alzheimer Disease

14. Abbreviations
Shortened terms to a number of letters for the sake of convenience
Examples:
CABG – Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
CAD - Coronary Artery Disease
MI – Myocardial Infarction
ABG’s – Arterial Blood Gases
CBC – Complete Blood Count
Check Appendix III page 811 in the back of your book
Many abbreviations are no longer acceptable in healthcare due to confusion and medical mistakes

15. Decodable Terms Terms that can be broken into parts
The fundamental elements in medical terminology are the component parts used to build medical words.
The abbreviations used for component parts in this text –page 3 of text for reference
P for prefix –before, modifies or alters word
R for root- foundation of word
CV for combining vowel
CF for combining form
S for suffix- at end, modifies or alters word (good place to start)

16. Prefixes Appears at the beginning of the medical term
Alter or modify meaning or change meaning (e.g., ab-normal- away from normal)
Not all medical terms have one
Gives more information about the term
Absence – nulli-, an-, a-
Location – epi-, peri-, endo-
Number or quantity - hyper-, hypo-, poly-, bi-,tri-
State – dys-

17. Word Roots Word Roots Example: Foundation of term
Describes what term is about
Every term has at least 1, some have 2 or 3
Example:
Hepat Hepat(itis)
Cardi my Cardiomyo(pathy)
Use of dictionary to spell and sound out names
Use phones to do the otorhinolaryngology

18. Suffixes Always at the end of the term Alter or modify the meaning
Qualifies the term as a:
Disease or Condition – -osis, -itis, -uria, pathy, -ia,- emia
Procedure and Instruments – -plasty, -rrhaphy, -ectomy,-metry, -meter
Specialties and specialists - -ist, -logy, -logist

19. Suffixes – a good place to start
All suffixes, when written, are preceded by a hyphen (–) to signify that they are to be linked to the end of a root or combining form.
Suffixes are used to denote:
Pathological conditions
Surgical or diagnostic procedures
Conditions, treatments or specialists
Size or measurement
Noun or adjective

20. Combining Forms Word roots plus combining vowel Example: Medical Term
Cardi/o
My/o
Hepat/o
Medical Term
Cardi/o + my/o + pathy = cardiomyopathy
Disease of heart muscle
Hepat/o + itis + hepatitis
Inflammation of liver

21. Combining Vowels Usually an o, occasionally an i (rarely a, e, u)
Used between multiple word roots or word roots and suffixes to join words by making them easier to pronounce
Example:
Cardiomyopathy (correct)
Cardimypathy (incorrect)

22. Understanding Medical Terminology

23. Spelling Rules
If Suffix Starts With a Vowel, a combining vowel is not needed (arthritis)
If Suffix Starts With a Consonant, a combining vowel is needed (cardiology)

24. Spelling Rules Joining Word Roots
A combining vowel is used regardless of whether the word roots start with vowels or consonants
osteoarthritis
oste/o arthritis
cardiomyopathy
cardi/o + my/o + pathy

25. Spelling Rules Sequencing Word Roots
Combining forms are joined in logical order or as they are studied
Study of ear, nose, throat –otorhinolaryngology
Break these words apart above

26. Pronunciation Pronunciation of Unusual Letter Combinations
Medical Dictionary Online Is My BEST FRIEND
Eu – (u) - eupnea
Ph – (f) - phalanges
Pn – (n) - pnemonia
Ps – (s) - psychlogy
Pt – (t) - ptosis
Rh, rrh – (r) - rhinitis
X – (z) - xeroderma
For kicks pronounce outloud 26

27. Flashcard Challenge Prefix and Suffix If you don’t have a book, share
Will post a flashcard challenge in either study blue or quizlet
Quizlet
Studyblue
Pages, 5, 31, 33, 35, and 47
Activity PPT