EXERCISE: (Respiratory System)

CHOOSING WORDS FROM CONTEXT

When transcribing dictation, the medical transcriptionist frequently needs to
determine the word that correctly completes the sentence based on the situation.
From the list of words below, select the term that meaningfully completes each
statement.

Afebrile respiratory distress tachycardia

Erythema embolus diffuse
Alveoli rhonchi
tachypneic Hemoptysis cyanotic
effusion Auscultation nebulizer

1. Upon presentation to the emergency room, the patient was in severe

____respiratory distress____ making breathing painful.

2. On _____ Auscultation _____ of the lungs, I heard rhonchi and rales.

3. Her fingernails were ______ cyanotic _______, indicating that she needed
oxygen.

4. Mrs. Smith is ____ Afebrile_____ today, with a temperature of 98.6 0 on exam.

5. The chest x-ray showed improvement in her pleural _____ effusion _____.

6. The patient has had two episodes of ______ Hemoptysis _________,

when he noticed flecks of blood in his sputum.

7. Although she complains of rapid breathing, she is not ____ tachypneic ___
on exam.

8. On auscultation, there were _____rhonchi_____ heard in the lower lung fields.

9. Jackie has developed a lot of chest congestion over the past 24 hours,
with an increase in her wheezing. She has been using her
______nebulizer____ at home but no other medications.
10. The patient is ____ tachycardiac ___, with a heart rate of 160.

PAIRING WORDS AND MEANINGS

bronchiole hyperemia pathogen effusion

edema epiglottis trachea
esophagus tympanic membrane

1. A muscular canal that carries food from the mouth to the stomach
_____esophagus_____

2. One of the smaller divisions of the bronchial tubes ___ bronchiole___

3. A transparent membrane that separates the outer ear __tympanic membrane.

4. Abnormal collection of fluid in spaces between cells ____edema_____

5. Cartilage at the back of the mouth cavity that covers the windpipe
during swallowing ________epiglottis___________

6. Increased blood supply in part of the body ______hyperemia_______

7. A microorganism that can produce disease _____pathogen______

CREATING TERMS FROM WORD FORMS

In the following exercise, combine prefixes, root words, and suffixes to create
medical words that fit the definitions below. Fill in the blanks with the words you
construct.

1. excision of the thyroid _____thyroidectomy______

2. reduction of oxygen supply to tissue ________hypoxia____________

3. increase in number of cells, _____organomegaly________

4. excess of carbon dioxide _____hypercapnia/hypercarbia_____

5. underdevelopment of organ growth ___________

6. excess of red blood cells __________________

7. deficiency of carbon dioxide ________hypocapnia___________

8. inflammation of the mucosa of the bronchi ____bronchitis____

MAKING EXPERT DECISIONS

Circle the correct word from the choices in parentheses.

1. (Inspiratory/ Expiratory) wheezing was noted as the patient

breathed out.
- expiratory

2. The patient had a ventilation (perfusion/profusion) scan to assess

the pulmonary function.
- perfusion

3. The patient reports having difficulty breathing while lying down.

She stated that she had two-pillow (orthopnea/dyspnea).
- orthopnea

4. Lungs revealed good air entry and vesicular breathing. No rales or

(course/coarse) rhonchi were heard.
- coarse

5. Utilizing a stethoscope, the physician performed

(auscultation/percussion) of the lung fields.
- auscultation

6. Air exchange takes place in the (bronchi/alveoli).

- aveoli

7. The patient stated that she could not (breath/breathe) through

her nose.
- breathe.