‫‪Introduction of medical‬‬

‫‪terminology‬‬

‫د‪ .‬انتصار كامل الدسوقي‬

‫استاذ مساعد التمريض الباطني الجراحي‬
Specific objectives:-

 Once you have completed Unit 1 you

should be able to:
 • Name and identify components of
medical words
 • Split medical words into their
components
 • Build medical words using word
components.
Definition of medical terminology

Medical terminology is
the language used to describe
components and processes of the
human body, medical procedures,
diseases, disorders, and
pharmacology.
Who needs to understand Medical
Terminology?

All medical and paramedical

personals should study and
understand medical
terminology as a basic language
of communication for many
benefits for staff and patients.
What are the purposes of medical
terminology?
 To create a standardized language for medical
professionals. This language helps medical staff
communicate more efficiently and makes documentation
easier. This enables staff to save time by ensuring they
don’t have to explain complex medical condition in plain
English and can focus on the treatment of patients.
 To help in reducing of errors from poor communication or
poor documentation this ensures staff can quickly and
accurately review a patient’s medical history and begin
diagnosing and treating them.
Why is nurse study medical terminology?

 To allow the understanding each other and

communicate effectively.
 To help nurses in understanding what a
condition, medicine, or procedure is, they
are able to fulfill their roles accordingly,
whether that is delivering medicine
 To create a safe environment for both
patients and employees.
History of medical terminology

 Greeksare considered the founders of

medical terms are primarily derived from
Greek and Latin.
 Over centuries, the language of medicine
has evolved into multiple national medical
languages. Today, medical English is the
dominant language for international
communication.
Basic Structure of medical terminology
(components of medical terms)
 Medical terms are consist of these standard word parts:
 1- Prefix: When included, the prefix appears at the beginning of a medical
term and usually indicates a location, direction, type, quality, or quantity.
 The prefix precedes the word root and changes its meaning. The prefix epi-
means upon and so it modifies the word to mean upon or above the stomach.
Example epigastric.
 2- Root: The root gives a term its essential meaning. Nearly all medical terms
contain at least one root. When a prefix is absent, the term begins with a
root.
 3- Suffix: The suffix appears at the end of the term and may indicate a
specialty, test, procedure, function, disorder, or status. Otherwise, it may
simply define whether the word is a noun, verb, or adjective.
Basic Structure of medical terminology
(components of medical terms)

 4- Combining Vowel: A combining vowel (usually the letter “o”) may be

added between word parts to aid in pronunciation.
 Combining vowels are connecting the root to the suffix. In our first example
the combining vowel o has been added to join the root and suffix. All the
combining vowels a, e, i, o and u are used but the most commonly
used is o.
 5-The combining form:
 In our first example the root gastr can be combined with the vowel o to make
gastro. This word component is called a combining form of a word root, i.e.
 Word root + combining vowel = combining form
 gastr + o = gastro
How can understand the medical term?

 Breaking a word down to its component parts should help readers determine
the meaning of an unfamiliar term. For example, hypothermia has the prefix
hypo- (below normal), root therm (heat), and suffix -ia (condition).
 Example: gastrotomy
 Gastr Word root meaning stomach
 O Combining Vowel
 Tomy Suffix meaning incision into
 **The meaning of gastrotomy is incision into the stomach used by surgeons to
describe an operation in which a cut is made into the wall of the stomach.
Analysis the word (gastrotomy)

 1-The Word Root:

 We have used the root gastr which always means stomach.
 2-The combining vowel
 Combining vowel is added to word root and connect it with suffix is o.
 3-The suffix
 The suffix follows the word root and is found at the end of the word. It also
adds to or modifies the meaning of the word root.
 We have used the suffix -tomy which always means to form an incision.
There are certain simple 'rules' which need to
be applied when building and analyzing medical
words.
 Rule 1: Joining a combining form to a suffix:
 Examples
 Gastr/o + -logy = gastrology (study of the stomach)
 Gastro + -algia = gastralgia (condition of pain in the stomach)
 Here are some more examples where the vowel is left in place if the suffix begins
with a letter other than a vowel:
 Gastr/o + = gastrotomy (incision into the stomach)
 Gastr/o - scope = gastroscope (instrument to view the stomach)
 Here are some examples where the vowel is dropped:
 Gastr/o + -itis = gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
 Gastr/o + - ectomy = gastrectomy (removal of the stomach)
Word Exercise 1

 Use Rule 1 to join the combining forms of word roots and suffixes to make
medical words.
 Combining form Suffix Medical word of word root
 (a) gastr/o + -pathy = gastropathy
 (b) gastr/o + -scopy = gastroscopy
 (c) hepat/o + - it is = hepatitis
 (d) hepat/o + -megaly = hepatomegaly
 (e) hepat/o + -oma = hepatoma
Rule 2: Joining the combining forms of two
word roots

 Some medical words contain two or

more combining forms of roots
 When the combining forms of two
roots are joined, the combining vowel
of the first roots is kept in place.
Examples

 gastr/o entr/o logy

 combing form of word combing form of word suffix
 root meaning stomach root meaning intestine study of
 The full meaning of gastroenterology is the study of the intestines and
stomach. Notice that the vowel between the two roots and enters is left in
place.
 Other examples:
 Pylor/o + gastro/o + ectomy = pylorogastrectomy
 duoden/o + enter/o + stomy = duodeno-enterostomy
Word exercise 2

 Use Rules 1 and 2 to join the combining forms of two roots with suffixes to
make medical words.
 Combining form combining form suffix medical word of word root
of word root
 a) duoden/o + jejun/o + -stomy = duodenojejunostomy
 b) trache/o + bronch/o + -it is =tracheobronchitis
 c) gastr/o + enter/o + -stomy =gasrtoentrostomy
 d) laryng/o + pharyng/o + -ectomy
=laryngopharyngectomy
 Note. There are a few exceptions to this rule.
Rule 3: Joining a prefix to a root

 Key Point:
 When a prefix that ends in a vowel is joined to a root, the vowel of the prefix
is dropped if the root begins with a vowel or 'h.' If we examine our second
example, epigastric, again, here the vowel of epi- was retained because the
root gastr begins with 'g' which is not a vowel.
 Consider another example, which may be familiar to you –antacid, a drug
used to neutralize stomach acid.
 This word is made from:
 anti + acid = antacid (Prefix meaning against root meaning acid).
Word Exercise 3

 Use the rules we have just described to join prefixes, combining forms of
roots and suffixes to make medical words.
 Prefix Combining form Suffix Medical word form of word root
 (a) para- + rect/o + -al =pararectal
 (b) mono- + ocul/o + -ar =monocular
 (c) peri- + splen/o + -itis =perisplenitis
Ex. Gastroenterology

 First
 Split the word into its components gastro/entero/logy.
 Then
 Think of or look up the meaning of these components.
 Finally
 Read the meaning of the word beginning with the suffix and reading backwards:
 1 study of
 2 the intestines and
 3 the stomach.
 We read the full meaning of gastroenterology as – the study of the intestines and
stomach.
Hypoinsulinemia:

 First
 Split the word into its components Hypo / insulin /emia
 Then
 Think of or look up the meaning of these components.
 Finally
 Read the meaning: Low of insulin level in the blood.
 Notice that there is no combining vowel in this word because the prefix ends
with a vowel and the suffix begins with a vowel.
Common prefixes and suffixes
Prefix Meaning Examples

ante- before antenatal, antedate

anti- against, opposing antibiotic, antidepressant,
circum- around circumstance
co- with co-worker, co-operation
de- off, down, away from decompensate, deflate, defibrillate

dis- opposite of, not disagree, disappear,

epi- upon, close to, after epidermis, epigastric, epicardic

extra- beyond, more than extracurricular, extra-terrestrial

Trans across/ behind transport, transverse

homo- same homosexual,
hyper- over, above hyperactive, hyperventilate
Auto self autoinfection
il-, im-, in-, ir- not impossible, illegal, irresponsible,
Tachy above normal, high tachycardia
Brady below normal/ low bradycardia
inter-, intra- between interact, intermediate, intranet
fore- before forecast, forehead, foresee, foreword, foremost
macro- large macroeconomics, macromolecule
micro- small microscope, microbiology, microfilm, microwave
mid- middle midway, midterm
mis- wrongly misinterpret, mistake, misunderstand
non- not, without nonsense
A without asepsis, apnea
post- after post-mortem, post-natal/ postoperative
pre- before preoperative
Aden gland adenitis
re- again return, rediscover,
Contra against, opposed contraindication
sub- under subarachnoid hemorrhage
super- above, over superfood, superstar
therm- heat thermometer
tri- three triangle, tripod, tricycle
Bi two bicycle,
Hemi half hemiplegia, semiconscious
Poly many polyuria, polyphagia
Tetra four tetraplegia
Dys pain or difficulty dyspepsia
Hydr water hydrocephalus
un- not undone, unknown
uni- one unilateral
iso- equal, isotonic
Ecto outside ectoretina
 Common Suffixes:
Suffix Meaning Examples
-it is meaning: infection, inflammation
Stomy surgical opening colostomy
-pathy medicine – meaning: have a condition cardiomyopathy
-penia meaning: deficiency leukopenia
-tomy/otomy meaning: condition, procedures, etc. vagotomy
anemia (lack of blood) and
Emia meaning: blood
hypervolemia
-logy meaning: various branches of science pathology
dialysis
-lysis meaning: decomposition, loosening

Centisis meaning: surgical puncture paracentisis

Ectomy surgical removal, example appendectomy
Pathy meaning: pathological disorder, gastropathy
Ia meaning: condition of, example hypothermia
Oma meaning: tumor adenoma
Rrhea meaning: a discharge or a flow amenorrhea
Some common medical procedures and
tests
 Appendectomy: Surgical removal of the appendix.
 Biopsy: Removal of a small tissue sample for testing.
 Dialysis: Process to filter the blood, or removing toxins or waste products in kidney failure.
 Endoscope: An optical instrument containing a tube with a lighted end used for internal examinations.
 Stethoscope: A device for listening to the heartbeat or breathing.
 Embolectomy (embol-ectomy) - surgical removal of an embolus.
 Ventilator: A machine that provides mechanical assistance with breathing.
 Atherectomy (Ather-ectomy) - surgical removal of plaque from blood vessels.
 Cardiectomy (cardi-ectomy) - surgical removal of the heart.
 Cholecystectomy (chole-cyst-ectomy) - surgical removal of the gallbladder. This is a common treatment for
gall stones.
 Cystectomy (cyst-ectomy) - surgical removal of a portion of the urinary bladder commonly performed to
treat bladder cancer.
 Lobectomy (lob-ectomy) - surgical removal of a lobe of a particular gland or organ, such as the brain, liver,
 Mastectomy (mast-ectomy) - surgical removal of part of the breast, or all
breast typically done as a treatment against breast cancer.
 Pneumonectomy (pneumon-ectomy) - surgical removal of all or part of a
lung.
 Splenectomy (splen-ectomy ) - surgical removal of the spleen.
 Tonsillectomy (tonsill-ectomy ) - surgical removal of the tonsils, typically due
to tonsillitis.
 Angiostomy (angio-stomy) - surgical opening created in a blood vessel
commonly for the placement of a catheter.
 Cholecystostomy (chole-cyst-ostomy) - surgical creation of a stoma (opening) in
the gallbladder for the placement of a drainage tube.
 Colostomy (col-ostomy) - surgically created an opening in the colon of abdomen.
This allows the removal of waste from the body.
 Gastrostomy (gastr-ostomy) - surgical opening in the stomach created for the
purpose of tube feeding.
 Ileostomy (ile-ostomy) - surgical opening creation of an opening from the
abdominal wall to the ileum of the small intestine. This opening allows for the
release of stool from the intestines.
 Nephrostomy (nephr-ostomy) - surgical incision made in the kidneys for the
insertion of tubes to drain urine.
 Pericardiostomy (peri-cardi-ostomy) - surgically created opening in
the pericardium.