COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed for individuals working in medical support services (e.g., billing, insurance, transcription, records, medical assisting, etc.) to review, refine, and expand their medical vocabulary. This course focuses on basic word parts and rudimentary medical terminology. Rev 2.0 January 2012 1
COURSE TITLE: Medical Terminology 1: Basics Author: James D. Rigdon, CPC, NCICS, BS-HA Coding Analyst-TCH University Physicians, Inc. Aurora, Colorado Number of Clock Hours Credit: 1.0 Course # 1227514 P.A.C.E. Approved: Yes X No OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this continuing education course, the professional should be able to: 1. Identify the origins of basic word parts in medical terminology. 2. Describe basic word parts used in medical terminology. 3. Mix and match basic word parts used in medical terminology. 4. Communicate using basic medical terminology. Disclaimer The writers for NCCT continuing education courses attempt to provide factual information based on literature review and current professional practice. However, NCCT does not guarantee that the information contained in the continuing education courses is free from all errors and omissions. 2
What is Medical Terminology? Medical terminology is an advanced language used in the medical field to communicate information quickly and effectively by using a multitude of word parts. These word parts are used to define specific information about anatomy, physiology, diagnoses, conditions, status, and treatments. Many of the word parts used in medical terminology have roots in the Greek and Latin languages. Exploring Word Parts Many of the words used in the medical field are composed of several components. These components are prefix, root, suffix, combining vowel, and combining form. Prefix: The prefix is a small part added to the beginning of the term. Root: The root gives the essential meaning of the term. Suffix: The suffix is the word ending. Combining vowel: Combining vowels connect roots to suffixes and roots to other roots. Combining form: The combining form is the combination of the root and combining vowel. Not all medical terms use all of these components, but all medical terms use many of these components. For example, if you took the term HEMATOLOGY and divided it into the individual word parts, it would look like this: HEMAT O LOGY root combining vowel suffix blood study of The proper way to read the term is to start with the suffix, then move to the front of the word. The word HEMATOLOGY means the study of blood. Another example is the word ELECTROCARDIOGRAM: ELECTR O CARDI O GRAM root combining root combining suffix vowel vowel electricity heart record Starting with the suffix and then moving to the front of the word, the definition for ELECTROCARDIOGRAM is a record of the electricity of the heart. The combining form of a root usually includes a vowel at the end, usually O. For example, the combining form for ELECTR is ELECTRO; CARDI is CARDIO. When a word part alone is heard without a combining vowel, it sounds strange. This is why a combining vowel is added when using word parts alone. For example, a physician discussing is a patient s case with the referral clerk in the office, says I d like to send Mr. Jones to for a Gastro evaluation. If the doctor had said I d like to send Mr. Jones for a Gastr evaluation, it would sound strange. 3
However, when combining word parts, the combining vowel is removed before adding it to another word part that starts with a vowel. For example, in the word GASTRO + IC (Gastro = stomach, ic = pertaining to) the O is removed in order to end up with the correct term (GASTRIC = pertaining to the stomach). Plurals Following are rules about turning single medical terms into plural medical terms. 1. Words ending in a, retain the a and add e: Singular Plural Meaning vertebra vertebrae backbones bursa bursae sacs of fluid near a joint 2. Words ending in is, drop the is and add es: Singular Plural Meaning diagnosis diagnoses nature & cause of disease psychosis psychoses abnormal conditions of the mind 3. Words ending in ex or ix, drop the ex/ix and add ices: Singular Plural Meaning apex apices pointed ends of organs cortex cortices outer parts of organs varix varices enlarged, swollen veins 4. Words ending in on, drop the on and add a: Singular Plural Meaning ganglion ganglia groups of nerve cells, benign cysts near a joint 5. Words ending in um, drop the um and add a: Singular Plural Meaning bacterium bacteria types of single-celled organisms ovum ova egg cells 6. Words ending in us, drop the us and add i: Singular Plural Meaning bronchus bronchi tubes leading from the windpipe into the lungs calculus calculi stones (exceptions: virus = viruses, sinus = sinuses) 4
Using Word Parts Following is a list of word parts and their definitions. As becomes evident, some word parts have multiple definitions, and some word parts have the same definitions as others. Exercise 1: using the charts on the following three pages, take 10 minutes, and see how many legitimate medical terms you can make by mixing and matching these word parts. Check your words in a medical dictionary. Table 1 Prefixes Definition a- / an- no, not, without aut- self dia- complete, thorough dys- bad, painful, difficult, abnormal endo- within exo- outside hyper- excessive, more than normal hypo- below, less than normal poly- many, excessive post- after pre- before pro- before re- back retro- behind sub- below, beneath trans- across Table 2 Combining Forms / Roots abdomino adeno arthro bio carcino cardio cephalo cerebro crino cysto cyto dermato / dermo electro encephalo entero erythro Definition abdominal gland joint life cancerous heart head cerebrum (enlarged upper part of the brain) secrete urinary bladder cell skin electricity brain intestines red 5
Table 2- continued Combining Forms / Roots gastro glyco gnoso gyneco hemato / hemo hepato laparo leuko myo neprho neuro onco opthalmo opto osteo ox patho psycho reno rhino sarco thrombo thyro vascular Definition stomach glucose (sugar) knowledge female (organs) blood liver abdomen white muscle kidney nerves tumor eye vision bone oxygen disease mind kidney nose flesh clot thyroid blood vessels Table 3 Suffixes -al -algia -cyte -ectomy -emia -globin -gram -graphy -ic -ism -ist -itis -logist -logy -oma -opsy -osis -scope Definition pertaining to pain cell surgical removal, excision blood (condition) protein record process of recording pertaining to condition, process a specialist inflammation one who studies the study of tumor, mass view (abnormal) condition an instrument to view 6
Table 3 continued Suffixes Definition -scopy process of visual examination -section cutting into an organ -sis state of being -stomy artificial opening -tomy process of cutting, incision -y condition or process References Chabner, Davi-Ellen (2003). Medical Terminology: A Short Course. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Science Thomas, Clayton L, MD, MPH, et al (1997). Taber s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Edition 18. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company Medline Plus (February 4, 2003). Medical Dictionary. Retrieved August 30, 2007, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html CancerWeb (1998). Online Medical Dictionary. Retrieved August 30, 2007, from http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/omd/ Exercise Define the following words. Answers are on the next page. 1. Anephric 2. Adenocarcinoma 3. Hypoglycemia 4. Retrogastric 5. Hypoxemia 6. Diagnosis 7. Subhepatic 8. Laparoscopic 9. Transgastric 10. Dermatitis 7
Answers to Exercise 1. Pertaining to (the condition of) being without a kidney (a- = without, nephro = kidney, -ic = pertaining to) 2. Cancerous tumor of a gland (adeno = gland, carcino = cancerous, -oma = tumor) 3. Blood condition of low blood glucose (hypo- = too little, glyco = glucose (sugar), -emia = blood condition) 4. Pertaining to the area behind the stomach (retro- = behind, gastro = stomach, -ic = pertaining to) 5. Blood condition of having too little oxygen (hypo- = too little, ox = oxygen, -emia = blood condition) 6. The state of having thorough knowledge (of a condition) (dia- = thorough, gnoso = knowledge, -sis = state of being) 7. Pertaining to the area below the liver (sub- = beneath, hepato = liver, -ic = pertaining to) 8. Pertaining to the visual examination of the abdomen (laparo = abdomen, -scopy = process of visual examination, -ic = pertaining to) 9. Pertaining to across the stomach (trans- = across, gastro = stomach, -ic = pertaining to) 10. Inflammation of the skin (dermato = skin, -itis = inflammation) 8
TEST QUESTIONS Medical Terminology 1: Basics Course 1227514 Directions: Before taking this test, read the instructions on how to complete the answer sheets correctly. If taking the test online, log in to your User Account on the NCCT website www.ncctinc.com. Select the response that best completes each sentence or answers each question from the information presented in the module. If you are having difficulty answering a question, go to www.ncctinc.com and select Forms/Documents. Then select CE Updates and Revisions to see if course content and/or a test questions have been revised. If you do not have access to the internet, call Customer Service at 800-875-4404. 1. Many of the word parts used in medical terminology have roots in which languages? a. German & Italian b. Greek & Latin c. Greek & Italian d. German & Latin 2. What are some of the word part components? a. suffix, root, combining consonants b. combining vowels, subject, tense c. prefix, root, suffix, combining vowels d. combining form, subject, punctuation 3. A medical term may have multiple roots. a. True b. False 4. To make a word ending in ex (such as APEX) into a plural form,. a. remove the ex and add ices (APICES) b. add es to the end (APEXES) c. keep the ex and add i (APEXI) d. add a prefix and add es to the end (POLYAPEXES) 9
Questions 5 30: Select the definition for the term listed. 5. Adenitis a. Surgical removal of a gland b. Visual examination of a gland c. The condition of having many glands d. Inflammation of a gland 6. Biopsy a. View living tissue b. One who studies living tissue c. Pertaining to many living tissues d. Pertaining to the area beneath living tissue 7. Electroencephalography a. State of being inside the brain b. Process of recording the electrical activity of the heart c. Process of recording the electrical activity of the brain d. Visual examination of the brain 8. Cystoscopy a. Visual examination of cells b. Visual examination of the urinary bladder c. A specialist who visually examines the urinary bladder d. Area below the urinary bladder 9. Retrogastric a. Pertaining to the area behind the stomach b. Pertaining to the area in front of the stomach c. Pertaining to the area beneath the stomach d. Pertaining to the area behind the thyroid 10. Diagnosis a. Thorough knowledge of a condition b. Suspected knowledge of a condition c. Unknown knowledge of a condition d. The study of a specified condition 11. Gynecologist a. One who studies cells b. One who studies skin c. One who studies blood d. One who studies female organs 10
12. Cytologist a. One who studies cells b. One who studies skin c. One who studies blood d. One who studies female organs 13. Hematologist a. One who studies cells b. One who studies skin c. One who studies blood d. One who studies female organs 14. Dermatologist a. One who studies cells b. One who studies skin c. One who studies blood d. One who studies female organs 15. Hyperhemoglobinemia a. One who studies the protein in the blood b. A condition with excessive amounts of protein in the blood c. Inflammation of the blood vessels d. Cancerous mass of the thyroid 16. Gastrostomy a. Artificial opening of the intestines b. Artificial opening of the urinary bladder c. Artificial opening of the heart d. Artificial opening of the stomach 17. Osteoma a. Tumor of the bone b. Condition of having excessive bones c. An instrument to view bones d. Process of cutting bones 18. Anemia a. Excessive amounts of blood b. Excessive amounts of glucose (sugar) secretion c. Less than normal amounts of glucose (sugar) secretion d. Literally meaning no blood the condition of decreased blood cells 11
19. Dysentery a. The condition of having a bad urinary bladder b. Literally meaning the condition of having bad intestines c. The process of viewing a clot in the intestines d. State of being cancerous within the intestines 20. Hypoxemia a. The condition of having too much oxygen in the blood b. The condition of having too few blood cells c. The condition of having too little oxygen in the blood d. One who studies the condition of having too little oxygen in the blood 21. Resection a. Cutting away, trimming b. Secrete from a gland c. A painful condition of viewing the intestines d. Inflammation of many joints 22. Endocrinologist a. One who studies inflammation of joints b. One who studies electrical activity of the heart c. One who studies thyroid tumors d. One who studies organs that secrete within the body 23. Myalgia a. Painful muscles b. Painful nose c. State of secretion d. Process of secreting oxygen into the blood 24. Polycythemia a. The condition of having too many white blood cells b. The condition of having too many red blood cells c. The condition of having too few white blood cells d. The condition of having too few red blood cells 25. Ophthalmologist. a. One who studies the brain. b. One who studies the heart c. One who studies the thyroid d. One who studies eyes 12
26. Hypoglycemia a. The condition of having too little protein in the blood b. The condition of having too much protein in the blood c. The condition of having too little glucose (sugar) in the blood d. The condition of having too much glucose (sugar) in the blood 27. Nephrectomy a. Surgical removal of the intestines b. Artificial opening of the intestines c. Process of visually examining the intestines d. Surgical removal of a kidney 28. Subhepatic a. Pertaining to the area above the liver b. Pertaining to the area below the liver c. The condition of having too few liver cells d. Recording of the liver function 29. Encephalopathy a. Process of recording the electrical function of the brain b. Artificial opening into the brain c. Condition of having a brain disease d. Pertaining to the area behind the brain 30. Laparotomy a. Process of cutting into the abdomen b. Process of cutting into the thyroid c. Process of cutting into muscle d. Process of viewing the heart *End of Test* 13