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As an EMT, you will probably never have to use Adding the prefix -INTRA to ABDOMINAL
more than a few medical terms in the course of your pinpoints the location of the pain, for INTRA-
pre-hospital emergency care activities. and most of ABDOMINAL
them will probably deal with parts of the body. PAIN means pain within the abdomen.
Physicians and nurses prefer EMTs to speak in other -PLEGIA refers to paralysis of the limbs. The prefix
than medical terms. But if you are an avid reader, QUADRI informs the reader as to how many limbs
much of what you read is likely to be freely are paralyzed. QUADRIPLEGIA means paralysis of all
sprinkled with medical terms, and if you cannot four limbs.
translate them you may not understand what you Suffixes are word endings that form nouns,
are reading. adjectives, or verbs. Medical terms can have more
Medical terms are comprised of words, word than one suffix, and a suffix can appear in the
roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes-all middle of a compound term affixed to a combining
little words, if you will, and each with its own form. A number of suffixes have specialized
definition. meanings. ITIS means inflammation; thus
Sometimes medical terms are made up of ARTHRITIS means inflammation of a joint. -IAC
two whole words. For example, the word SMALL is forms a noun indicating a person afflicted with a
joined with the word POX to form the medical term certain disease, as for example, HEMOPHILIAC.
SMALLPOX, the name of a disease. Would that it Some suffixes are joined to word roots to
were all so simple! form terms that indicates a state, quality, condition,
Word roots are the foundations of words and procedure, or process. PNEUMONIA and PSORIASIS
are not used by themselves. THERM is a word root are examples of medical conditions, while
that means heat; to use it alone would make no APPENDECTOMY and ARTHROSCOPY are examples
sense. But when a vowel is added to the end of the of medical procedures. The suffixes in each case are
word root to make it the combining form THERM/O, underlined.
it can be joined with other words or word roots to Some suffixes combine with word roots to
form a compound term. THERM/O and METER (an form adjectives, words that modify nouns by
instrument for measuring) combine to form indicating quality or quantity or by distinguishing
THERMOMETER, an instrument for measuring heat one thing from another. GASTRIC, CARDIAC,
or temperature. FIBROUS, ARTHRTIC, and DIAPHORETIC are all
More than one word root or combining form examples of adjectives formed by adding suffixes
can be joined to form medical terms; (underlined) to word roots.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM is a good example. Some suffixes are added to word roots to express
ELECTR/O (electric) is joined to CARDI (heart) and reduction in size, -OLE and -ULE, for example. An
the suffix -GRAM (a written record) to form the ARTERIOLE is smaller than an ARTERY, and a
medical term that means a written record of the VENULE is smaller than a vein.
heart's electrical activity. When added to word roots, -E and –IZE form
Prefixes are used to modify or qualify the verbs. EXCISE, and CATHETERIZE are examples.
meaning of word roots. They usually tell the reader Finally, some of what are commonly
what kind of where (or in what direction), or how accepted as suffixes are actually the combination of
many. a word root and a suffix. -MEGALY (enlargement)
The term -PNEA relates to breathing, but it results from the combination of the word root
says nothing about the quality or kind of breathing. MEGAL (large) and the suffix -Y (which forms the
Adding the prefix DYS- qualifies it as difficult term into a noun). CARDIOMEGALY means
breathing. enlargement of the heart.
ABDOMINAL PAIN is a rather broad term; it
gives the reader no clue as to exactly where the
pain is located either inside or outside the abdomen.
abduction movement away from the body's midline. A plane is an imaginary flat surface that divides the body
adduction movement toward the body's midline. into sections.
afferent conducting toward a structure. coronal or frontal plane an imaginary plane that passes
anterior the front surface of the body. through the body from side to side and divides it into
anterior to in front of. front and back sections.
caudad toward the tail. midsagittal plane an imaginary plane that passes through
cephalad toward the head. the body from front to back and divides it into right and
circumduction circular movement of a part. left halves.
craniad toward the cranium. sagittal plane an imaginary plane parallel to the median
deep situated remote from the surface. plane. It passes through the body from front to back and
distal situated away from the point of origin. divides the body into right and left sections.
dorsal pertaining to the back surface of the body. transverse plane an imaginary plane that passes through
dorsiflexion bending backward. the body and divides it into upper and lower sections.
efferent conducting away from a structure.
elevation raising a body part. WORD PARTS
extension stretching, or moving jointed parts into or
toward a straight condition. Prefixes are generally identified by a following dash
external situated outside. (AMBI-). Combining forms have a slash and a vowel
flexion bending, or moving jointed parts closer together. following the word root (ARTHR/O). Suffixes are
inferior situated below. generally identified by a preceding dash (-EMIA).
internal situated inside.
laterad toward the side of the body. a- (not, without, lacking, deficient) afebrile, without
lateral situated away from the body's midline. fever.
lateral rotation rotating outward away from the body's ab- (away from) abduct, to draw away from the midline.
midline. -able, -ible (capable of) reducible, capable of being
left lateral recumbent lying horizontal on the left side. reduced (as a fracture).
mediad toward the midline of the body. abdomin/o (abdomen) abdominal, pertaining to the
medial situated toward the body's midline. abdomen.
medial rotation rotating inward toward the bodY'1 ac- (to) acclimate, to become accustomed to.
midline. acou (hear) acoustic, pertaining to sound or hearing.
palmar concerning the inner surface of the hand. acr/o (extremity, top, peak) acrodermatitis,
peripheral away from a central structure. inflammation of the skin of the extremities.
plantar concerning the sole of the foot. acu (needle) acupuncture, the Chinese practice of
posterior pertaining to the back surface of the body. piercing specific peripheral nerves with needles to relieve
posterior to situated behind. the discomfort associated with painful disorders.
pronation lying face downward or turning the hand so ad- (to, toward) adduct, to draw toward the midline.
the palm faces downward or backward. aden/o (gland) adenitis, inflammation of a gland.
prone lying horizontal, face down and flat. adip/o (fat) adipose, fatty; fat (in size).
protraction a pushing forward, as the mandible. aer/o (air) aerobic, requiring the presence of oxygen to
proximal situated nearest the point of origin. live and grow.
recumbent lying horizontal, generally speaking. af- (to) afferent, conveying toward.
retraction a drawing back, as the tongue. ag- (to) aggregate, to crowd or cluster together.
right lateral recumbent lying horizontal on the right -algesia (painful) hyperalgesia, overly sensitive to pain.
side. -algia (painful condition) neuralgia, pain that extends
rotation turning around an axis. along the course of one or more nerves.
superficial situated near the surface. ambi- (both sides) ambidextrous, able to perform manual
superior situated above. skills with both hands.
ambl/y (dim, dull, lazy) amblyopia, lazy eye.