Harper Final Review
The basis of a medical term
Combining form
Combining Form consists of
A word root and a combining vowel
Precedes the combining form
Prefix
Modifies or clarifies the combining form
Suffix
Dys-
painful; difficult; abnormal
-pathy
Suffering/disease
Tachy-
Fast
Tri-
Three
Anti-
Against
Endo-
Within/innermost
Pre-
Before/in front of
Eu-
Normal/good
DiBi-
Two
Mono-Uni-
One/single
Quad-Tetra-
Four
Mal-
Bad/inadequate
A-
Away from/without
An-
Not/without
-scopy
process of using instrument for examination
-megaly
Enlargement
-ectomy
Surgical excision/removal
-tomy
Process of cutting making an incision
-stomy
Create an opening/incision
Stoma
opening
-itis
Inflammation or infection
Coronal plane
Divides the body front/ventral to back/dorsal
Saggital plane
Divides the body right to left
Transverse
Divides the body horizontally top/cephalad to bottom/caudad
Front/o
Frontal
Prone
Lying of ventral side/face down
Supine
Lying on dorsal side/face up
Lateral
Away from midline/toward the side
Medial
Toward the midline/away from the side
Proximal
Closer to the main body
Distal
Further from the main body
Dorsal
Posterior/back side
Ventral
Anterior/front side
Caud/o
Tail (Tail Bone)
Superior
Above/upper
Inferior
Below/lower
Right Hypochondriac
Left inguinalHypogastricRight inguinal
UmbilicalLeft LumbarRight Lumbar
Left Hypochondriac
Epigastric
Prognosis
Expected result of a condition
Diagnosis
Determination based on knowledge about the cause of
the patient’s signs and symptoms
Eti/o
Cause of Disease
iatro/o
physician - doctor - treatment
Nosocomial
Infection acquired in a hospital or healthcare setting
idi/o
Unknown or individual
Patent
open
Congenit/o
Present at birth
Disease caused by environmental factors
Environmental
iatrogenic
Caused inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by
medical treatment or diagnostic procedure
Objective information/data gained during a physical exam or history
Signs
Subjective information/data gained during a physical exam or
history
Symptoms
When a person is affected again by a condition that affected him, or
her, in the past
Relapse
The state of absence of disease activity in patients known to have
incurable chronic illness
Remission
Meta
After; subsequent to; transition; change
Angi/o
Blood Vessel
Genesis
Producing/ forming
Myel/o
Spinal cord or Bone marrow
URI
Upper Respiratory Infection
ETOH
Ethyl Alcohol
EEG
Electro Encephlagram
Stasis
condition of staying in one place; standing still
Heredit/o
Genetic Inheritance
GPA
Gestation #Pregnancy #Abortion #
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imagery
TIA
Transient Ischemic Attack
Multiple X-rays used to create a 3D image
CT Scan
Positrons used to determine areas of metabolism
PET Scan
ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisLou Gehrig’s
MS
Multiple Sclerosis
Sx
Symptoms
Tx
Treatment
PT
PatientOr
Physical Therapy
NPO
Nothing by Mouth(Nil Per Os)
GERD
Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
RLS
Restless leg Syndrome
System which includes skin, hair, and nails
Integumentary
Scaly crusty skin due to an overproduction of oil
Eczema
Lack of pigment in skin, hair, and eyes
Albinism
Dry Skin
Xeroderma
Absence of sweat glands
Anhidrosis
Depigmentation interspersed with normal skin
Vitiligo
Severe systemic allergic reaction
Anaphylaxsis
Extra Finger(s)
Polydactyly
Webbed fingers or toes
Syndactyly
Blackhead Acne
Comedo
Blisters from a burn
Bulla
Abnormally large scar
Keloid
Thick crusty necrotic tissue from a 3rd degree burn
Eschar
Prurit/o
Itching
Derm/o
Skin
Presby/o
Old or aging(geriatric)
Specialty dealing with the Stomach and intestines
Gastroenterology
Lymph/o
Lymph
Hepat/o
Liver
Splen/o
Spleen
Emet/o
Vomiting
Gastr/o
Stomach
Enter/o
Intestine
Whitehead Acne
Pustules
Pylor/o
pertaining to the pylorus, the opening between the stomach and
duodenum.
A surgically created opening
Stoma
Cholangi/o
Bile Duct
Cholecyst/o
Gallbladder
Odont/o
Tooth
Phag/o
Eating; Swallowing
Peps/oPept/o
Digestion
Emet/o
To Vomit
Emiss/o
To send out
Hallucin/o
Imagined perception
Orex/o
appetite
Pattern of binge and purge
Bulimia
Buzzing, Hissing, Ringing in the ears
Tinnitus
Muscle spasm, sustained contraction
Tetany
Tendon/o
Tendon
-trophy
Process of development
Kinesi/o
Movement
Contus/o
Bruising
Extra Finger(s)
Polydactyly
Arthr/o
Joint
Orth/o
Straighten
My/o
Muscle
Grinding sound from bones rubbing together
Crepitus
Sarc/o
Connective Tissue
Glycos/o
Glucose
Ur/oUrin/0
Urine
Dips/o
Thirst
Epistaxis
Nose bleed
Para-
Besides; apart from; two parts of a pair; abnormal
Clouding of the eye lens
Cataract
Infection of the conjunctiva(Pink Eye)
Conjunctivitis
difficulty in producing or comprehending spoken or written
language
Aphasia
Difficulty in written or verbal communication
Dysphasia
Bacterial or viral infection of the meninges surrounding the brain
and spinal cord
Meningitis
Fainting
Syncope
Bleeding under the dura layer of the brain.
Subdural Hematoma
Neurological disorder caused by a lack of oxygen at the time of birth
Cerebral Palsy
Neur/o
Nerve
Cephal/o
Head
Fibr/o
fiber
CV
Cardio Vascular
Hydro
Water/fluid
Esthes/o
Sensation/feeling
Tachy
Faster than normal
Hema/o
Blood
emia
Condition of the blood; substance in the blood
-ia
Condition; state; thing
Hyper
Above/beyond/excessive
CABG
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
Cyan/o
Blue
omatosis
Abnormal condition of multiple tumors or masses
Pne/o
Breathing
Atel/o
imperfect or incomplete development.
Strabismus
Deviation of one or both eyes
-ectasis
Dilation or widening
Chelioplasty
Repairing the lip
Measuring oxygen levels in the blood with a device on the finger
Pulse oximetery
Listening to the sounds of the body
Auscultation
Steth/o
The chest
Spir/o
Breath
Hal/o
Breath- Inhalation/Exhalation
MI
Myocardial Infarction
Epi
On/upon/top/over
Peri-
Around/about
Weakened or stretched/bubbling portion of an artery
Aneurysm
Arterial clot or occluding plug from an Embolus (intravascular mass
carried by circulation)
embol/o-
Blood pressure within an artery
tension
sclero
Hard or Sclera of eye
ASVD
arteriosclerotic vascular disease
ism
Process; disease from a specific cause
CHF
Congestive Heart Failure(the heart can no longer pump enough
blood to the rest of the body)
Ven/o
vein
Arteri/o
Artery
Vas/o
Blood Vessels
Phleb/o
Vein
Pulmon/o
Lung
anthrac/o-
Coal
atel/o-
Incomplete
bronch/o-
bronchus
-centesis
procedure to puncture
Diuretic
Promotes the formation of urine
cost/o-
Rib
de-
reversal of; without
-ectasis
condition of dilation
-ema
condition
glott/o-
glottis (of the larynx)
Gloss/o
Tongue
malign/o-
intentionally causing harm; cancer
orth/o-
Straighten
-osis
abnormal condition; process
ox/y-
oxygen; quick
oma
Tumor; mass
pan-
all
parenchym/o-
parenchyma (functional cells of an organ)
pariet/o-
wall of a cavity
pector/o-
chest
pharyng/o-
pharynx (throat)
phil/o-
attraction to; fondness for
-ptysis
condition of coughing up
py/o- purul/o-
pus
turbin/o-
scroll-like structure; turbinate
vir/o-
Virus
ASD
Atrial Septal Defect
BP
Blood Pressure
ECG/EKG
Electrocardiography
Ment/aPysch/o
Mind
Mamm/o
Breast
Infecto
Disease within
BRCA
Breast cancer Gene
ER
Emergency Room; Estrogen Receptor
CF
Cystic Fibrosis
CSF
Cerebrospinal Fluid
BPM
Beats Per Minute
PA
Physicians Assistant; PosteroAnterior
PE
Physical Exam
Phas/o
Speech
-plegia
Condition of paralysis
rrhea
Flow or Discharge
Rect/o
Rectum
Emot/o
Moving ; stirring up
ADH
Anti Diuretic hormone
Diabetes Melitius
Hyposecretion of Insulin
Diabetes Insipidus
Hyposecretion of ADH
Degluti/o
Swallowing
Diaphys/o
Shaft of bone
Hyster/o
Uterus
Hirsut/o
Hair
-graph
Instrument used to record
-graphy
Process of recording
Trans
Across; through
Hemi
One half
iatry
Medical Treatment