Word Structures
This word part can be joined by a combining vowel to a suffix, such as "hemat" in the word hematology.
What is a root word (RW)?
This suffix translates directly to "study of."
What is -logy?
This prefix is used to indicate the direction "around."
What is circum-?
This directional term means farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk.
What is distal?
The abbreviation "PO" gives this instruction for how a patient should take a medication.
What is "by mouth"?
This letter is the most frequently used combining vowel in medical terminology.
What is "o"?
The suffixes -ectomy, -plasty, -stomy, and -tomy are all used to indicate this broad category of medical intervention.
What are surgical procedures?
Both the prefix "ante-" and the prefix "pre-" share this meaning related to time.
What is "before"?
The anatomical root word "hepat/" refers to this specific organ.
What is the liver?
A prescription with the abbreviation "BID" signifies the patient must take the medication this many times a day.
What is twice a day?
A medical term like "apnea" is formed purely by a prefix and a suffix, meaning it completely lacks this word part.
What is a root word?
The suffixes -er, -ist, -ian, and -ician all share this meaning.
What is "one who is a specialist in a field"?
This prefix is used as a quantity measurement to indicate "half."
What is hemi-?
These are the three major planes used when describing the human body.
What are the frontal, transverse, and sagittal planes?
f a patient is scheduled for surgery, they will often be marked "NPO," which means this.
What is "nothing by mouth"?
When a suffix begins with a vowel, this specific word part is dropped because it is no longer needed.
What is a combining vowel?
Suffixes such as -gram, -graphy, -meter, and -scopy are used to indicate these types of procedures.
What are diagnostic procedures?
The prefixes a-, an-, anti-, dys-, brady-, and tachy- are used to indicate this.
What are diseases or abnormal conditions?
The liver, gallbladder, and duodenum are located in this specific abdominal section.
What is the Upper Right Quadrant (URQ)?
When a health care provider orders something "STAT," it needs to happen at this time.
What is immediately?
hen analyzing and defining a medical word, you should always start reading from this end of the term first.
What is the end of the term?
The suffixes -algia, -edema, -emesis, and -itis are categorized together because they describe these states.
What are diseases or abnormal conditions?
This prefix indicates "all," such as when referring to all organs.
What is pan-?
This directional term describes a body lying entirely face down.
What is prone?
This abbreviation tracks how much fluid a patient takes in normally or by IV, and how much they lose via urination, vomiting, or blood loss.
What is I&O (intake and output)?