Medical Terminology

Unit 12

Prefixes of Location and Medication Administration

Breathing

• Re/spir/ation: Breathing

• Ex/pir/ation (n.): Breathing out

• Ex/pire, Ex/hale (v.): To breathe out

• In/spir/ation (n.): Breathing in

• In/spire (v.): To breathe in

In- = In, Into, Not

• In/compatible: Do not mix with each other• In/compet/ency (n.): Not able to perform its

function. – In/compet/ence (n.). In/compet/ent (adj.)

• In/continence: Lack of control of waste removal– In/continence (n.). In/continent (adj.)

• In/sane: Not sane• In/somnia: Inability to sleep• In/coherent: Not coherent

In- = In, Into, Not

• In/cise (v.): To cut into– In/cised (past tense verb)

• In/cision (n.): Cutting into

Vs.

• Ex/cise (v.): To cut out (remove)• Ex/cision (n.): Cutting out

In- = In, Into, Not

• In/ject (v.): To introduce a substance into the body (usually through a needle)– In/jected (v., past tense)

• In/jector: One who (things which) injects

• In/jection: Procedure of injecting

In- = In, Into, Not

• In/fusion: Solution introduced into a vein• In/stillation: Putting medicated drops into an eye or

body cavity.– Stillare = To drip

• In/semin/ation: Process of placing semen into the opening of the cervix

In- = In, Into, Not

• In/fested: Organisms living within or on another organism

• In/flammation (n.): Condition with such symptoms as a red, swollen, and warm area– In/flamed (v., past tense)

Mal- = Bad, Poor

• Mal/odor/ous: Having a bad odor

• Mal/aise: General feeling of illness or feeling poorly

• Mal/formation: Poor formation

• Mal/nutrition: Poor nutrition

• Mal/absorption: Poor absorption

Eating disorders

• Malnutrition may take the form of overnutrition or undernutrition.– Hyperphagia– Anorexia– Anorexia nervosa– Bulimea– Compulsive overeating

Malari/o = Malaria– Disease caused by a parasite, Plasmodium vivax, carried

in mosquitoes. Initially thought to be caused by “bad” night air.

• Mal/ari/a (n.): Bad air• Malari/al (adj.): Pertaining to malaria• Malari/ous (adj.): Having malaria• Malari/o/logy (n.): Study of malaria• Malari/o/therapy (n.):

– An obsolete method of treating syphilis of the central nervous system by injecting malarial organisms into the body. Organisms produce hyperthermia, which is then terminated by antimalarial medication.

Tri- = Three

• Tri/ceps muscle has 3 heads

• Tri/cuspid valve has three cusps

• Tri/genim/al nerve has 3 branches

• Tri/plets: 3 infants during the same pregnancy

Bi- = Two

• Bi/furc/ate (v.): To divide into 2 branches– Furco- = Branching or dividing

• Bi/furc/ation (n.): The part of a structure that divides into 2 branches

• Bi/sexual: 1.) One who is sexually attracted to both males and females. 2.) A person with physical characteristics of both male and female (hermaphrodite).

• Bi/polar: Affective disorder with severe mood swings from a manic (excited) to a depressive state. Having 2 poles.

Bi- = Two

• Muscle of 2 bellies• Tooth with 2 cusps• Lenses with 2 areas of focus

Bi/ceps Bi/cusps Bi/focal

Uni- = One

• Uni/corn has one horn

• Uni/ovular: Pertaining to twins who develop from one ovum

• Uni/vers/al: Combined into one whole

Later/al = Pertaining to the side

Pertaining to:• One side• Two sides• Three sides

Uni/later/alBi/later/alTri/later/al

Multi- = Many

• Multi/cell/ular: Made of many cells

• Bi/cell/ular: Made of 2 cells

• Uni/cell/ular, Mono/cell/ular: Made of 1 cell

Nucleus

• Having one nucleus• Having 2 nuclei• Having many nuclei

o Uni/nucle/ar, Mononuclearo Bi/nuclearo Multi/nuclear

Semi-, Hemi- = Half

• Semi/circle: Half circle

• Semi/conscious: Half conscious

• Semi/private: Half private

Semi-, Hemi- = Half

• Half circular• Half normal• Half comatose

• Semi/circul/ar• Semi/normal• Semi/comatose

Semi-, Hemi- = Half

• Hemi/cardia: Presence of only half a heart

• Hemi/gastr/ectomy: Removal of half the stomach

• Hemi/plegia, Hemi/paralysis: Paralysis of half the body (on one side).

Semi-, Hemi- = Half

• Paralysis of half (one side) of the body

• Half of a sphere• Anesthesia of half the

body

• Hemi/plegia

• Hemi/sphere• Hemi/an/esthesi/a

Genit/o = Reproductive system

– Genesis = Beginning, Formation

• Genit/al: Reproductive system structure

Con- = With

• Con/genit/al: Born with– Congenital deformities or anomalies including

• Congenital cataract, scoliosis, kyphosis, glaucoma, syphilis– Hydr/ophthalm/os is increased fluid pressure in eyes due to

congenital glaucoma

• Con/sanguin/ity: With blood, Blood relationship. A relationship by descent from a common ancestor– Sanguin/o = Blood– -ity = Quality

Sanguin/o = Blood

• Sanguin/ous, Sanguin/eous: Bloody

Dis- = To free of

• To free of, to separate, to undo• Dis/ease: Free of ease• Dis/sect (v.): To cut a tissue or to undo it for

purpose of study– Dis/section (n.), Dis/sected (past tense verb)

• Dis/infect (v.): To free of infective agents– Dis/infection (n.), Dis/infected (past tense verb)

• Dis/infectant: Chemical or physical agents that prevent infection by killing microorganisms

Dis- = To free of

• Dis/associate: To break apart• Dis/sociation (n.): Separation. Ability to move one

body segment independently of another. The breaking off of normal thought processes from consciousness– Dis/sociate (v.)– Dis/sociated (v. past tense or adj.)

• Multiple personality disorder (MPD)– A split in consciousness resulting in 2 (or multiple)

different phases of personality, neither being aware of the words, acts, and feelings of the other

Prefixes

• Post-

• Ante-

• Pre-

Behind, After

Before, Forward

Before, In front of

Post- = After• Post/prandial (pp): After meals• Post/cibal (pc): After meals• Post/glucose (pg): After ingesting glucose• Post/esophageal: Behind the esophagus• Post/menopausal: After menopause • Post/operative: After an operation• Post/coit/al: After coitus (intercourse)• Post/part/um: After delivery (refers to the mother)

Pre- = Before, In front of

• Pre/an/esthetic: Before anesthesia• Pre/hyoid: In front of the hyoid bone• Pre/operative: Before an operation• Pre/mature: Before maturity (readiness)• Pre/scribe: Write before you can take (Rx)• Pre/cancer/ous: Before cancer develops

Ante- = Before, Forward

• Ante/pyretic: Before the fever

• Ante/flexion: Forward bending

• Ante/version: Turning forward

• Ante/part/um: Before delivery

• Ante/position: Position in front

Nat/al = Birth

– Natal refers to birth and is related to the baby. – Partum refers to delivery is related to the

mother.

• Peri/natal: Around birth

• Post/natal: After birth

• Pre/natal: Before birth

• Ante/natal: Before birth

Febr/ile = Pertaining to fever

– Febris = Fever

• Post/febr/ile: Pertaining to after a fever

• Ante/febr/ile: Pertaining to before a fever

Mortem = Death

• Before death• After death

• Mort/ality:

• Mobid/ity:

• Antemortem• Postmortem

• Death rate. Statistics giving the ratio of deaths in a given population.

• Rate of occurrence of disease. The ratio of disease in a given population.

• A.M. = Ante-meridiem = Before noon

• P.M. = Post-meridiem = After noon

Intra- = Within

• Intra/abdominal: Within the abdomen

• Intra/cellular: Within a cell

• Intra/uterine: Within the uterus

• Intra/ven/ous: Within a vein

• Intra/spin/al: Within the spine

• Intra/lumb/ar: Within the lumbar region

Intra- = Within

• Within an artery• Within the cranium• Within the bladder• Within the aorta• Within the skin• Within the duodenum• Within the thoracic

cavity

Intra-/arteri/al Intra/crani/al Intra/cyst/ic Intra-/aort/ic Intra/derm/al Intra/duoden/al Intra/thorac/ic

Abbreviation

• Ac• Ad lib• AID• AIH• am, A.M.• Bid• caps• CRNA• exc• GNID• Gt/gtt. gtts

• Before meals (ante cibum)

• Ad libetum as desired

• Artificial insemination - donor’s sperm

• Artificial insemination - husband’s sperm

• Ante meridiem (morning)

• Bis in die, twice a day

• capsules

• Certified registered nurse anesthetist

• Excision

• Gram-negative intracellular diplococcus

• Drop, drops

Abbreviation

• I&O

• IABP

• ID

• IM

• inf

• instill

• IU

• IUD

• IV

• Intake and output

• Intra-aortic balloon pump

• Intradermal, identification

• Intramuscular

• Infusion

• Instillation

• International units

• Intrauterine device

• Intravenous

Abbreviation

• LPN• MSN• NP• pc• pm, P.M.• PO, po• prn• RN• sc, subcu, sq, subq• tab• tid• (see textbook)• †

• Licensed practical nurse• Masters of Science in Nursing• Nurse practitioner• After meals (post cibum)• Post meridiem (after noon)• Postoperative, by mouth (per os)• Pro renata, as needed or required• Registered nurse• Subcutaneous• tablet(s)• Ter in die, three times a day22• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5• death