Be Careful about these Words/Word Parts

The “rr’s” -rrhage: bleeding ie: hemorrhage -rrhaphy: to suture ie: herniorrhapy -rrhea: abnormal flow ie: diarrhea --rrhexis: to rupture ie: myorrhexis

The “ar’s” arteri/o: artery ie: arteriosclerosis ather/o: plaque or fatty substance ie atheroma arthr/o: joint or joints: ie arthralgia

The hip? or the intestine? ileum: part of small intestine ilium: part of the hip.

Is it infected? Inflammation: Localized response to injury or destruction of tissues. Infection: invasion of the body by a pathogenic disease. May be localized or systemic.

Do I need stitches? Laceration: is a torn ragged wound Lesion: is a pathologic change of tissues due to disease or injury

Yuck!!!!! Mucous: is an adjective describing specialized membranes that line the body cavities Mucus: is a noun and is the name of the substance that is secreted by mucous membranes. Hint: Mucus is a shorter word as is the word “noun”

The “my’s” myc/o: Fungus ie: mycosis myel/o: bone marrow or spinal cord ie: myeloma. my/o: muscle ie: myorrhexis

the “-tomy’s” -ostomy: surgically create a new opening ie: colostomy col/o: colon -otomy: means cutting into or a surgical incision ie: laparotomy

Is it my heart? palpation: examination technique using hands palpitation: pounding or racing heart

The “prost’s” prostate: the male gland that surrounds urethra Prostrate: means to collapse and be lying flat or to be overcome with exhaustion.

The “py’s” pyel/o: renal pelvis (collecting part of kidney). ie: Pyelitis py/o: pus ie: Pyoderma pyr/o: fever or fire ie: pyrosis (heartburn)

What’s “sup”? Supination: the act of rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand is forward or upward; the act of assuming a supine position. Suppuration: the formation or discharge of pus

“Close Please” Suturing: the act of closing a wound or incision by stitching or similar means. Ligation: the act of binding or tying off blood vessels or ducts

In the Emergency Dept... Triage: the medical screening of patients to determine their relative priority of need. Trauma: wound or injury

Don’t want to mix these up Viral: pertaining to a virus Virile: possessing masculine traits

How are you feeling? Sign: objective evidence of disease ie: fever Symptom: can only be observed by patient Syndrome: set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a disease process Diagnosis: identification of disease Prognosis: forecast or prediction of probable course or outcome

How long will it last? acute: rapid onset, often severe course, short duration chronic: long duration remission: partial or complete disappearance of symptoms of disease without having achieved a cure

How did it get it’s name? condition described: ie chronic fatigue syndrome eponym: disease, structure, operation or procedure named for person who discovered it at first. ie Alzheimer’s disease acronym: word formed from the initial letters of the major parts of a compound term: ie laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).

Confusing prefixes: Ab-: Away from ie abnormalad-: toward or in direction of ie addiction dys-: bad, difficult, painful ie: dysfunctionaleu-: good, normal, well, easy ie: eupnea inter-: between or among: ie: interstitialintra-: within or inside ie: intracellular sub-: means below, under, less ie: submarine supra-: above or excessive ie: supraspinatus

Know your colors cyan/o: Blue ie cyanosis erythr/o: Red ie erythrocytes leuk/o: white ie leukocytes melano: Black ie melanosis poli/o: Gray ie poliomyelitis