Medical Terminology: Concepts, Suffixes, and Prefixes

Introduction

• Medical terminology is essential in health-care for effective communication.
• It's based on Greek and Latin, providing consistency.
• Terms condense complex ideas into concise words (e.g., "gastroduodenostomy").

Word Parts

• Root: Core meaning of a word.
• Suffix: Added to the end of a root to modify its meaning (e.g., -itis for inflammation).
• Prefix: Added before a root to modify meaning (e.g., pre- for before).
• Combining Forms: Roots with vowels added for easier pronunciation.
• Compound words: Formed by combining multiple roots.

Pronunciation Rules

• Long vowels: When a vowel appears alone or at the end of a syllable.
• Short vowels: When inside a syllable.
• Accented syllables: Shown with capital letters.
• Silent letters and unusual pronunciations (e.g., gn pronounced as n).

Plurals and Singulars

• Many medical terms have unique plural forms (e.g., lumen to lumina).
• Table of common singular and plural conversions.

Key Suffixes

• Noun Suffixes: Convert roots to nouns (e.g., -ia, -ism).
• Adjective Suffixes: Indicate "pertaining to" (e.g., -ac, -al).
• Specialty Suffixes: Indicate medical specialties or specialists (e.g., -logy, -iatry).

Key Prefixes

• Numerical Prefixes: Indicate numbers (e.g., uni-, bi-, tri-).
• Color Prefixes: Indicate color (e.g., cyan/o for blue).
• Negative Prefixes: Indicate negation or absence (e.g., a-, anti-, contra-).
• Directional Prefixes: Indicate direction or position (e.g., ab- for away, ad- for toward).
• Degree Prefixes: Indicate intensity or extent (e.g., hyper- for excess, hypo- for under).

Abbreviations

• Time-saving in medical records (e.g., mL for milliliter, ECG for electrocardiogram).
• Acronyms are formed from initial letters (e.g., ASAP, MRI).

Case Study: David's Digestive Problems

• Chief Complaint: Heartburn aggravated by stress and diet.
• Examination: Possible GERD, tested with barium swallow and EGD.
• Resolution: Lifestyle changes and medication improved symptoms.

Exercises and Skills Review

• Multiple choice questions on word parts and pronunciation.
• Fill-in-the-blank exercises for prefixes, suffixes, and word formation.
• Exercises on forming plurals and identifying prefixes and suffixes.

Summary

• Medical terminology is a structured language that helps convey complex medical concepts.
• Understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes is key to understanding and forming medical terms.

Further Study

• Explore more through case studies, practice exercises, and medical dictionaries.