1. Health Care Terminology
of the word and tells what the word is about
Example: Cardio is the root word for “heart.”
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2. Identify medical prefixes, suffixes and root words
Origin of health care terminology
Scientist turned to Greeks and Roman physicians such as Hippocrates, and borrowed terms.
Hippocrates was the first physician to use the words: Asthma, diarrhea, and epilepsy.
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3. Root Word
The root word is the main part This is the subject of the word you are going to build.
Root Word
“Cardio”
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4. Prefix
The prefix is a word element added to the beginning of a word root.
The prefix is added to the root word to change the meaning or make the word more specific.
Prefix “peri” means around.
Prefix
“Peri”
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5. Suffix
The suffix is an element added to the end of the word root that changes or adds to the meaning of the root.
The suffix “it is” means inflammation.
Suffix
“it is”
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6. Putting it all together
Prefix
“Peri”
Around
Suffix
“it is”
Inflammation
Root word
“Cardio”
Heart
“Inflammation around the heart”
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7. Scenario
Suppose you are not feeling well and find yourself sitting in a doctor's office. After examining you the doctor writes something in your file and leaves the room.
You take a peek in your file and find that she wrote "acute rhinitis" as your diagnosis. Now having taken this course, you know that "acute" just means sudden onset (as opposed to something that you have had for months or years) and you know that "-itis" simply means an inflammation.
inflammation of the nose," which means nothing more than a "common cold." You now sit back and relax in the assurance that you are not going to die from this malady. (By the way, if the doctor had written "allergic rhinitis," you would have known that you were suffering from rhinitis due to an allergy--a condition that lay people usually refer to as "hay fever" or "allergies.")
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8. Cont.
You remember “rhin” means nose so the diagnosis is: "acute inflammation of the nose," which means nothing more than a "common cold."
You now sit back and relax in the assurance that you are not going to die from this malady.
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9. Combining word elements to form medical terminology commonly used by the health care team.
The combing vowel makes it possible to combine several word roots.
It also makes the word easier to pronounce.
When all the word elements are combined the word Pericarditis
Peri/card/it is, it means Inflammation around the heart
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10. Cont.
Combing vowel is usually an o, for example, oste means “bone”, and the o is the combing vowel
The o can be added to join a word root with another word root or a suffix
Sometimes an I, y, or u is used.
Combing vowels make it easier to pronounce the term.
For example, osteomyelitis is easier to pronounce than ostemyelitis.
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11. Cont.
When a suffix begins with one of the vowels (a,e,I,o,u), the o on the root word is not used.
Since oste/o ends in o and the suffix –itis begins with a vowel, the o is dropped.
The word is osteitis, which means “inflammation of the bone.
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12. Cont.
The combining vowel is placed between root words, for example osteoporosis (oste/o/por/osis).
Pronounce the word with the combining vowel, and you can tell that it is easier to say than osteporosis.
After you learn the roots, prefixes, and suffixes, you can combine many word parts to form medical terminology.
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13. Application Aden/o/pathy Hepat/o/rrhagia Poly/arthr/it is
Hyster/ectomy
Hyster/o/salping/ectomy
Oste/o/por/osis
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14. Interpret Medical Abbreviations
Abbreviations are shortened form of words.
They are an efficient way of communicating quickly and concisely with other health care workers.
Health care workers use abbreviations to convey information about their patients/clients.
Abbreviations help save time and save space on medical documents.
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15. Cont. Be considerate about when you use an abbreviation
Your patients do not know what the abbreviations mean.
Example NPO posted over the bed means “nothing by mouth”
You know what it means but the patient doesn’t , you need to explain what it means.
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16. Identification of common medical abbreviations
abd-abdomen
amb-ambulate/walk
bid-twice a day
CCU-coronary care unit
CVA-cerebrovascular accident/stoke
OOB/oob-out of bed
OR-operating room
ER-emergency room
PEDS-pediatrics
P.T.-physical therapy
po- by mouth
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17. Transcribing
Mr. Locklear came to the ER DOA. The ambulance workers also brought in his wife who was having chest pain. The M.D. thought she was having a MI. The RN drew a CBC, Na, and Bun. She was put on BR. They took her B/P and it was 170/100. The PA decided to send her to the CCU. She was NPO this pm. Prior to being adm the LPN started an IV in her lf arm. The NA also put in an ng tube. There was not room in CCU or ICU so she had to be adm to Ob.
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18. Review The prefix in the word pericarditis means? Around
The medical root word for vomiting is?
Emesis
When a person has a fear you identify it with the suffix?
Phobia
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19. Review
You would see a gastroenterologist if you were having problems with your?
Stomach
A macrocyte indicates a?
Large cell
Hepatomegally means?
Enlarged liver
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