Lecture Notes: Digestive System Suffixes and Medical Terms

Key Goals:

• Learn new suffixes and their meanings in the context of the digestive system.
• Understand laboratory tests, clinical procedures, and abbreviations related to the digestive system.
• Apply knowledge of medical terms in context.

Important Suffixes and Examples:

• -ectasis / -ectesia: Dilation or widening (e.g., bronchiectasis)
• -emesis: Vomiting (e.g., hematemesis - vomiting blood)
• -pepsia: Digestion (e.g., dyspepsia - indigestion)
• -phagia: Eating/swallowing (e.g., dysphagia - difficulty swallowing)
• -plasty: Surgical repair (e.g., rhinoplasty)
• -ptysis: Spitting (e.g., hemoptysis - spitting up blood)
• -rrhagia / -rrhage: Bursting forth (e.g., hemorrhage)
• -rrhaphy: Suture (e.g., herniorrhaphy)
• -rrhea: Discharge or flow (e.g., diarrhea)
• -spasm: Involuntary contraction (e.g., cardiospasm)
• -stasis: Stopping or controlling (e.g., hemostasis)
• -stenosis: Narrowing (e.g., pyloric stenosis)
• -tresia: Opening (e.g., atresia - lack of opening)

Combining Forms and Terminology:

• Bucc/o: Cheek (e.g., buccal)
• Cec/o: Cecum (e.g., cecal volvulus)
• Cholecyst/o: Gallbladder (e.g., cholecystography)
• Col/o: Colon (e.g., colectomy)
• Dent/o: Tooth (e.g., dentalgia)
• Enter/o: Intestines (e.g., enterorrhaphy)
• Esophag/o: Esophagus (e.g., esophageal atresia)
• Gingiv/o: Gums (e.g., gingivitis)
• Gloss/o: Tongue (e.g., glossotomy)
• Hepat/o: Liver (e.g., hepatomegaly)
• Proct/o: Anus and rectum (e.g., proctologist)
• Pyel/o: Renal pelvis (e.g., pyelogram)

Laboratory Tests:

• Amylase and Lipase Tests: Measure enzyme levels.
• Liver Function Tests (LFTs): Check liver enzyme levels and bilirubin.
• Stool Culture: Detect microorganisms in stool.
• Stool Guaiac Test: Checks for hidden blood in feces.

Clinical Procedures:

• Radiographs (X-rays): Visual examination.
• CT Scan / Colonography: Imaging with contrast material.
• Ultrasound (Abdominal Sonography): Imaging technique.
• MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.
• Nuclear Medicine Tests: E.g., hepatobiliary scans for gallbladder/liver.

Surgeries and Procedures:

• Gastric Bypass / Bariatric Surgery: Reduce stomach size.
• GI Endoscopy: Visual examination of the GI tract.
• Laparoscopy: Abdominal examination.
• Liver Biopsy: Tissue examination.
• Nasogastric Intubation: Tube insertion through the nose.
• Paracentesis: Fluid removal from abdomen.

Common Abbreviations:

• AFP: Alpha fetal protein.
• ALT / AST: Liver enzyme tests.
• BE: Barium enema.
• BM: Bowel movement.
• BRBPR: Bright red blood per rectum.
• CD: Celiac disease.
• CT: Computed tomography.
• EGD: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
• ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Abbreviations for Medical Procedures and Conditions:

• EUS: Endoscopic ultrasonography.
• FOBT: Fecal occult blood test.
• GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
• HBV: Hepatitis B virus.
• IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease.
• LFTs: Liver function tests.
• MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.
• NPO: Nothing by mouth.
• TPN: Total parenteral nutrition.

Key Concepts to Review:

• Importance of suffixes in understanding medical terms.
• Common procedures and tests related to the digestive system.
• Abbreviations and their meanings in medical charts.
• Repeated exposure and review are crucial for mastering terms.

Study Tips:

• Create flashcards for suffixes and terms.
• Quiz yourself and others regularly to reinforce memory.
• Focus on understanding the context and meaning of medical abbreviations.