MODULE 3

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES

I. Introduction

Communication is an integral part in any system, it fosters understanding among members

thereby minimizing confusions. Communication may be in terms of words spoken or written
(verbal) or even gestures and signs (non-verbal). This is important since words may have different
interpretations. Because of its nature, the medical field uses common terminologies to reduce if
not totally eradicate errors.
Medical terminologies are used by the healthcare team as a standard language for
communication in the work place. This language helps medical professionals communicate
efficiently and effectively. In this way, documentation is easier and the team can focus on the
treatment of patients.

II. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:
1. identify the root word, prefix and suffix of commonly used medical terminologies
2. define the meaning of commonly used medical terminologies based on the root
word, prefixes and suffixes
3. transcribe common abbreviations used in clinical laboratory practice

III. Lesson Proper

Components of Words
The wider the vocabulary of the professional, the more competent they become. Medical
terms are usually derived from Greek and Latin words. Understanding terminology involves
breaking words down into their separate components. Prefixes, suffixes, and root words are
combined to form words.

1. Root Word
This is the main part or stem of a word. This root expresses the basic meaning
of the term and frequently indicates a body part. With a combining form, the root word
and a combining vowel such as i, e, o, or a may be combined with another root word, a
prefix, or a suffix to describe a particular structure or condition

Examples:

Medical Term Root Word Meaning

cytology cyto- cell
malignant malign- harmful
toxicology toxo- poison

2. Prefixes
These are found at the beginning of every word. It often describes location and
intensity.
Examples:

Medical Term Prefix Meaning

hyperglycemia hyper- excessive or above
ectoparasite ecto- outside
syndrome syn- together with

3. Suffixes
These are placed at the end of the word to change the original meaning. It
usually indicates a procedure, condition, disease or part of speech

Examples:

Medical Term Sufffix Meaning

hepatitis -itis inflammation
apendectomy -ectomy excision or removal
retinoblastoma -oma tumor

Plural Forms
Plural form of nouns used in medical terminologies usually follows rules in English
grammar except in the following cases:

Singular Ending Plural Ending Applied Example Example

of Rule
a ae Add letter e cava – cavae
ax aces Change x to ces thorax – thoraces
en ina Change en to ina foramen – foramina
is es Change is to es anastomosis –anastomoses
ix ices Change ix to ices appendix – appendices
ex ices Change ex to ices apex -apices
on a Change on to a criterion – criteria
um a Change um to a ostium – ostia
us i Change us to i syllabus – syllabi
y ies Change y to ies cavity – cavities
ma mata Keep ma and add ta carcinoma - carcinomata

Plural Form Exceptions

There are times when rules of English pluralization do not apply because these words
are in Greek or in Latin.
Examples:

SINGULAR PLURAL
arthritis arthritides
calyx/calix c alyces/calices
comedo comedones
corpus corpora
crus crura
embryo embryos
epididymis epididymides
femur femora
genius geniuses
index indexes
os ora (meaning “mouth”)
os ossa (meaning “bones”)
paries parietes
pons pontes
sinus sinuses
vas vasa
virus viruses
viscus viscera

For Latin terms, the adjective and noun must agree in gender, number, and case.
There are many variations, and a medical dictionary is your best friend in deciphering
these plurals. Some examples of singular to plural Latin medical words you might see
are:

Singular Plural
verruca vulgaris verrucae vulgares
pars interarticularis partes interarticulares
nucleus pulposus nucleus pulposi
musculus trapezius musculi trapezii
chorda tendinea chordae tendineae

Possessive case of Latin Medical Terms

There are some Latin medical terms that are often misread as being plural when actually
they are used in Latin to show possessive case. Some of these are:

cervix uteri (neck of the uterus, uterine cervix)

corpus uteri (body of the uterus, uterine corpus)
pars uterina placentae (part of the placenta derived from uterine tissue)
pruritus vulvae (itching of the vulva)
os calcis: the plural is ossa calcium (bones of the heels)
Abbreviations
Abbreviations take the place of words to shorten notes or documentation. When using
abbreviations in patient care reports, remember to use only standard, accepted abbreviations
to avoid confusion and errors.

Examples:

Medical Definition/ Description

Abbreviatio
n
b.i.d “ bis in die”- 2x a day
C&S Culture and sensitivity
CBC Complete blood count
cc Cubic centimetre= cm3 or cc, 1 ml
ECG/EKG Electrocardiogram= to check for the signs of heart disease
FBS Fasting blood glucose
gtt “ guttae”- drops
H&H Hemoglobin ( O2 carrying protein pigment in blood) and
hematocrit ( is the proportion, by volume, of the blood that
consists of red blood cells
HTN Hypertension ( abn high blood pressure)
IM Intramuscular
IU Intrauterine ( within the uterus)
IV Intravenous
MRI Magnetic resonance Imaging
Npo Nil per os ( nothing by mouth)
q.d “quaque die”- once a day
q.i.d Quarter in die 4 times a day tid- ter in die (3x a day)
STAT Statum “ immediately/rush”
UA Urinalysis
plt Platelet
RBC Red blood cell
WBC White blood cell
Hct Hematocrit
Ag Antigen
Ab Antibody
Hgb or Hb Hemoglobin
ALT Alanine Amino Transferase
AST Aspartate AminoTransferase
Ig Immunoglobulin
TC Total Cholesterol
HDL High Density Lipoprotein
LDL Low Density Lipoprotein
Trig or TG Triglyceride
APTT Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time
PT Prothrombin Time
ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
BUA Blood uric acid
 BUN Blood urea nitrogen
CK Creatine Kinase
T4 Total thyroxine
FT4 Free thyroxine
T3 Triiodothyronine

IV. Assessment

1. Assessment will be given by the instructor via Canvas.