Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

LESSON 4

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES AND ABBREVIATIONS

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. identify the meaning of the root words, prefixes, and suffixes commonly used in medical
terminologies;
2. use commonly used prefixes and suffixes correctly;
3. define the meanings of common medical terms used in the practice of medical technology; and
4. identify common abbreviations used in clinical practice.

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES
- Usually derived from Greek or Latin words
o Uses ETYMOLOGY – a study of the origin of words and the way in which
their meanings have changed throughout history.

ETYMOLOGY – Etymo (etumon) - Greek

- meaning true sense or sense of truth
Logy (logos) - study of
ETYMOLOGY – the study of its true sense (true sense of a word)

3 Basic Parts of a Medical Term:

1. Root word
2. Prefix
3. Suffix
ROOT WORD
- main part of the medical term that denotes the meaning of the word.
Examples:
colo – colon hemat - blood
phlebo – vein aero - air
hepato – liver spleno - spleen

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Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

PREFIX
- found at the beginning of the term and it shows how meaning is assigned to the word.
Examples:
a-/an- - without, absence pre- - before
hyper- - increased or high infra- -below or beneath
poly- - many endo- - within or inner

SUFFIX
- is found at the terminal portion or at the end of the term
- also denotes the meaning of the root word
Examples:
-megaly – enlargement -ostomy - to make an opening or mouth
-uria – urine -itis - inflamation
-emia – blood -cyte – cell

RULE:
If the suffix starts with a consonant, a combining vowel needs to be used (usually the
letter "O"). the combining vowel does not change the meaning of the root word and is added in
order to make the pronunciation of the word easier. The combining vowel is added between the
root word and the suffix.

Examples:
hemat + logy = hematology - study of blood
phleb + tomy = phlebotomy - process of cutting into the vein using a needle
hepat + megaly = hepatomegaly - enlargment of the liver
bacteria + logy = bacteriology - study of bacteria

The plural form of medical terms is made by changing the end of the word and not by simply
adding S, which follows the rule for irregular nouns.

DALE U. OCAMPO, RMT

Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

SINGULAR PLURAL
bacterium bacteria
nucleus nuclei
thrombus thrombi
bacillus bacilli
ovum ova
spermatozoon spermatozoa
fungus fungi
glomerulus glomeruli
coccus cocci

Root Words

cardio heart thrombo clot

myo muscles pyro fever
arterio artery nephron kidneys
cyto cell osteo bones
arthro joint chondro cartilage
heap/hepato liver pulmo lungs
pyo pus thoraco chest
cranio skull angio vessel (blood vessel)
chol/e bile erythro red
gastro stomach cephalo head

Prefixes

iso same nano billionth

micro small hypo decreased
macro large anaero without oxygen
intra inside/within homo same, like
pseudo false cryo cold
mono one neo new
dys abnormal/painful bi two
mal bad tachy fast
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brady slow hemi half
ante before trans across or through
Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

SUFFIXES

-itis Inflammation -oma Tumor, growth

-megaly enlargement -tome Cutting instrument
-blast young -algia pain
-cidal Killing of -ase enzyme
-poiesis formation -lysis Separate/destroy
-meter measure -phagia eating
-ectomy Surgical removal -sclerosis hardening
-emia Blood condition -penia deficiency
-pathy disease

ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations
DOH Department of Health
CHED Commission on Higher Education
PCQACL Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in the Clinical
Laboratory
VDRL Venereal Disease Research Laboratories
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
AIDs Autoimmune Disorder/diseases
NSAIDs Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
CBC Complete Blood Count
APC Actual Platelet Count
AFB/AFS Acid Fast Bacilli/Acid Fast Stain
GS Gram Stain
C/S Culture and Sensitivity
BUN Blood Urea Nitrogen
BUA Blood Uric Acid
AST Aspartate Aminotransferase
ALT Alanine Transaminase
FBS Fasting Blood Sugar
RBS Random Blood Sugar

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Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

2PPBS 2 Hours Post Prandial Blood Sugar

PBS Peripheral Blood Smear
AMI Acute Myocardial Infarction
F/A or Fx Fecalysis
U/A or Ux Urinalysis
Na Sodium
K Potassium
NPO Nothing per orem
SGPT Serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase
SGOT Serum glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase
LDH Lactate Dehydrogenase
ALP Alkaline Phosphatase
ACP Acid Phosphatase
TPAG Total Protein Albumin Globulin
PT Pregnancy Test or Protime
CRP C-Reactive Protein
RPR Rapid plasma Reagin
ASOT Anti-Streptolysin Titer
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
IV Intravenous
IU Interntaional Unit
ICU Intensive Care Unit
PAMET Philippine Association of Medical Technologists
PASMETH Philippine Association of Schools of Medical Technology and
Public Health

IMPORTANCE OF MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES AND

ABBREVIATIONS

1. Improve Job Performance

DALE U. OCAMPO, RMT

Lesson 4: Medical Terminologies and Abbreviations

 makes you a more competitive candidate for healthcare

positions

2. Quality Communication
 can understand quick cues and STAT requests

3. Improve Patient Safety

 reducing the number of mistakes

4. Improve Patient Experiences

 can help the patient learn what the terms mean

5. More Efficient Care

 can write quickly and scribble common abbreviations and see
more patients

DALE U. OCAMPO, RMT