Overview
This lecture introduces fundamental medical terminology, focusing on anatomical positions, planes, directional terms, prefixes, suffixes, and strategies for understanding new terms in medical contexts.
Importance of Medical Terminology
- Medical terminology provides precise language for health professionals to describe systems, symptoms, and patient positioning.
- Terms often originate from Latin and may both clarify and obscure meaning for patients.
Anatomical Positions & Patient Placement
- Anatomical position: standing, palms forward, thumbs out, feet apart.
- Supine: lying on back (comfortable transport position).
- Prone: lying face down (generally corrected to supine).
- Left/right lateral recumbent: on the side, often fetal position.
- Fowler's: sitting up (45–90°); Semi-Fowler's: less than 45°.
- Trendelenburg: legs elevated above the heart, head lower than body.
Anatomical Planes & Directions
- Medial plane: divides body into left/right at midline.
- Sagittal plane: divides body into left/right (not always at midline).
- Frontal (coronal) plane: divides body into front (anterior) and back (posterior).
- Transverse plane: divides body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts.
- Lateral: away from midline; medial: toward midline.
- Proximal: closer to torso; distal: further from torso.
- Ventral/dorsal: anterior/posterior, mainly used for internal organs.
- Superficial: near surface; deep: further inside.
- Plantar: sole of foot; palmar: palm of hand.
- Abduction: movement away from midline; adduction: toward midline.
- Extension: straightening a joint; flexion: bending a joint.
- Inversion/eversion: turning foot inward/outward.
Prefixes & Common Root Words
- Prefixes indicate location (sub-, infra-, circum-, peri-, intra-, trans-, epi-, supra-), number (uni-, bi-), intensity (a-/an-, dys-, hyper-, hypo-, tachy-, brady-, pre-, post-), and color (cyan-, leuk-, eryth-, xanth-/cirrh-, melan-, poli-, alb-, chlor-).
- Common roots: cardi/o (heart), hepat/o (liver), nephr/o (kidney), neur/o (nerves), psych/o (mind), thorac/o (chest), etc.
Suffixes
- -itis: inflammation (e.g., tonsillitis).
- -algia: pain (e.g., fibromyalgia).
- -ectomy: removal (e.g., tonsillectomy).
- -ostomy: surgical opening (e.g., colostomy).
- -ology/-ologist: study of/specialist (e.g., hematology).
- -megaly: enlargement (e.g., cardiomegaly).
- -oma: tumor (e.g., melanoma).
- -pathy: disease (e.g., cardiomyopathy).
- -gram: record (e.g., electrocardiogram).
- -osis: disease process (e.g., cyanosis).
- -phasia: speech; -phagia: eating/swallowing.
- -pnea: breathing (e.g., tachypnea).
- -rrhea/-rrhagia: abnormal discharge (e.g., diarrhea, rhinorrhagia).
- -stasis: stopping/slowing; -staxis: dripping.
- poly-: excessive (e.g., polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia).
Strategies for Learning Terms
- Write unknown terms in a different color and break them down into familiar parts.
- Focus on commonly used medical terms and gradually incorporate them into communication.
- Use common language when unsure of medical terms but work towards fluency.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Supine — lying on the back.
- Prone — lying face down.
- Fowler’s — semi-upright seated position.
- Trendelenburg — body laid flat with feet higher than head.
- Medial/Lateral — toward/away from midline.
- Proximal/Distal — closer to/farther from torso.
- Anterior/Posterior — front/back.
- Hyper-/Hypo- — above/below normal.
- Tachy-/Brady- — fast/slow.
- Cyanosis — bluish skin due to low oxygen.
- -itis — inflammation.
- -ectomy — surgical removal.
- -pathy — disease.
- Polyuria — excessive urination.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Begin a personal list of medical terms encountered in class and break them into parts.
- Review textbook chapter and associated PowerPoint for additional terms.
- Practice describing patient conditions using both common and medical terms.