Transcript Medical Terminology for the Vocational Professional

Medical Terminology
for the Vocational
Professional
By
Judith A. Cooney RN, MSN,
CCM
Objectives
1.
Participant will be able to distinguish the difference
between appropriate medical terminology and non
medical terminology
2. Participant will be able to differentiate between
acute vs chronic references to processes
3.The participant will able to verbalize the difference
between reliable, reputable resources vs non
reputable, non reliable resources.
medical terminology and non medical
terminology

Medical terminology is language that is
used to accurately describe the human body
and associated components, conditions and
processes in a science-based manner.

Why is that important?
Medical terminology

“ The DR opines the IW’s pain comes from
before or after the fusion”

The DR opines the IW’s pain originates from
a site either superior or inferior to the recent
fusion site.
General Anatomy
Superior
Inferior
Lateral
Medial
Anterior = front
Posterior = back
Adduction = add to or move
towards medial
Abduction = move away from
medial
Plantar = bottom surface of
foot or palmar surface of
hand
Dorsal= top surface of the
foot or hand
Proximal = closer to the
attachment point
Distal = more distant from the
attachment point
Vocabulary



Abbreviations
Prefixes & suffixes
Root words



General – anatomical markers
Systems – anatomical & provider
Operative terms
Context and Drafter

In context – what field – medical vs legal


Drafter – Pulmonary VS GI


Example = c/o
BS
Medium


Written – c/o
Spoken – HNP vs H&P
Abbreviations
ADJ - adjuster
 A.D. - right ear ( auris dextra)
 A.S. – left ear ( auris sinistra)
 BP – blood pressure
 BS – breath sounds, bowel
sounds
 C1, C2 – cervical disc
 C – with
 CA – carcinoma
 CC – chief complaint, cubic
centimeter, carbon copy
 CNS – central nervous system
 CVA – cardiovascular accident
( stroke)









Dx – diagnosis
ER – emergency room OR
employer
ESI – epidural steroid
injection
FCE – Functional Capacity
Evaluation
FH – family history
GE – gastroenterology
GI – gastrointestinal
GU – genitourinary
abbreviations









IW – injured worker
IME – Independent Medical
Evaluation
L1, L2 – lumbar disc
NAD – no appreciable
disease
NV – nausea, vomitting
O- objective
OD – right eye ( ocula
dextra)
OS – left eye ( ocula
sinistra)
PDL – physical demand
level









A & P – ausculation &
percussion OR anatomy &
physiology
P - plan
PE – physical exam OR
pulmonary emboli
PH -( PMH) past medical
history
PT – physical therapy OR
patient
S – without OR subjective
SN – skilled nursing or special
needs
TPR – temp, pulse, resp
VS – vital signs
ABBREVIATIONS

RESOURCES –


Medilexicon.com
http://www.abbreviations.com/


















Prefixes
a, an = without
Ab, apo-de = from, out of
Ambi = both
Ante, pre, pro = before
Anti, contra, counter = against
Circum, peri = Around
Con,com,syn,syn = with, together
Dextro = to the right of
Dia, per,trans = through
Dis = apart, from
Dorsi = backwards
Dys = painful, bad
E,ec, ex = out from, away
Ecto, exo,extra = outside
Em, en, im, in = in
Endo, ento, intra = within
Epi = upon
Eso = inward
•Hemi = half
•Hyper, per,ultra = excessive,
beyond
•Hypo, sub = under
•Infero, infra = low
•Inter = between
•Intra = withiin
•Intro = into
•Latero = to the side
•Mesa = middle
•Para = beside
•Peri = around
•Postero = behind
•Retro, re = backward
•Sinistro = to the left of
•Spondylo = spinal column or
vertabra
•Sub = below
•Super, supra = above, more
Suffixes
















Algia = pain
Cele – swelling
Cleisis = closure
Cyst = sac of fluid
Ectasia, ectasis = expansion
Emia = relating to blood
Esthesia = sensation
Iasis = condition of
Itis = inflammation
Lith = stone
Lysis – breakdown
Lysthesis = slip or slide
Malacia = softening
Opia = vision
Oma = tumor
Osis = condition or abnormal
state














Paresis = weakness
Pathy = disease
Phagia = eating, swallowing
Phasia = speaking
Plasia = growth, formation
Plegia = paralysis
Pnea – breath
Ptosis – failing
Rhage, (r)hagia = bursting
forth
(r) rhea = flow
Rhexis = rupture
Stasis = stopping, position
Staxis = discharge by drops
Trophy = nourishment
Root words


















Angi, vaso = vessel
Arthr = joint
Bronch = of the lung
Cardi = heart
Cephal = head
Cervic = neck
Chondro = cartilage
Coccy = coccyx ( tailbone)
Col = colon ( lg intestine)
Cost = rib
Coxa = hip
Crani = skull
Cutis = skin
Cysto = bladder
Derm = skin
Encephalo = brain
Gastro = stomach
Hepat = liver

















Ileo = 3rd section of small
intestine
Ilio = hipbone
Myal = bone marrow or spinal
cord
Myo = muscle
Nephro = kidney
Neuro = nerve
Opthalm, opto = eye
Ossa, oste = bone
Oto = ear
Pes = foot
Phleb = vein
Pneumo = lung, air
Ren = kidney
Rhino = nose
Teno, tendo = tendon
Thorac = thorax
Tracheo = of the trachea
resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_r
oots,_suffixes_and_prefixes

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/application
Practice








Dyspnea = pain + breathing
Dysphasia = difficulty + speaking
Dysphagia = difficulty + swallowing
Hemiplegia = half + paralyzed
Hemiparesis = half + weakness
Submaximal = below + maximum
Arthritis = joint + inflammation
Chondromalacia = cartilage + softening
More practice

Spondylosis is a term referring to degenerative osteoarthritis of
the joints between the centre of the spinal vertebrae and/or
neural foraminae

Spondylolysis is a defect of a vertebra. More specifically it is
defined as a defect in the pars interarticularis of the vertebral
arch. When spondylolysis is present in the spine, it means that
the pars interarticularis is detached and there is a separation of
the joints. Spondylo = vertabrae

Spondylolisthesis is the anterior or posterior displacement of a
vertebra or the vertebral column in relation to the vertebrae
below.
Operative Terms

Incision




Otomy = cutting
Ostomy = cutting to form an opening for drainage
Centesis = puncture
Excision

Ectomy = cutting out



Amputation



Disarticulation – at the joint
Dismemberment – through the bone
Introduction





Resection = subtotal removal
Radical excision = total removal
Injection of
Transfusion of
Implantation of radioactive sustances
Insertion of
Endoscopy

Looking within
Operative Terms

Repair







Destruction




Clasis = destroy
Tripsy = crush
Lysis = free
Suture


Plasty = Repair, reform
Desis = fusion, binding
Pexy = fixation, suspension
Ostomy = formation of permanent opening between two normally distinct places
Graft = transplanting tissue from one site to another
Open reduction = restore fracture to normal alignment via surgical incision
(r) raphy = sewing
Manipulation



Ectasia, tsis = stretch
Closed reduction = restore fracture to normal alignment without incision
Application = the act of bringing something into contact
practice

Arthroplasty = joint + repair

Craniotomy = skull + cutting

Colostomy = lrg intestine + cutting to form an
opening for drainage
acute vs chronic references to processes

The NIH defines acute conditions as severe and sudden in onset that is brief in
its duration; while a chronic condition, by contrast is a long-developing.
Therefore an acute condition not treated appropriately can develop into a
chronic condition.

While chronic symptoms or even a syndrome can improve over time, a chronic
defect does not.

Your suffixes are going to help you indentify acute vs chronic processes.

Pathy = disease

Lysis – breakdown
Ortho testing

Now that you are more familiar with medical terminology you should be able
to decipher the description of any testing referred to in medical
documentation. Lets practice!!! –

Clonus test = the foot is dorsiflexed by the examiner which elicits repetitive,
uncontrolled up and down motion of the ankle. This is a + test indicating
pressure on the spinal cord.
Ortho testing continued

Impingement syndrome = The shoulder is forcefully abducted and
internally rotated causing the greater tuberosity to press against the
undersurface of the acromion. c/o discomfort = positive finding.
Ortho testing continued

Hoffmans test = Fingernail of the long finger is pinched
and the examiner notes flexion of the distal phalanx of
the other digits = indicative of pathology affecting the
spinal cord in the cervical region
FCE

Sample pending
reliable, reputable resources vs non reputable,
non reliable resources.

Obvious resource references
 Dr. Oz
 American Medical Association

Less Obvious resource references
 Any definition that uses the same term in the definition is poor
 Any resource > 10 years old except historic or standards of the
associated resource
 Any resource not supported references and subsequent research
resources





Tabers Medical Dictionary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_r
oots,_suffixes_and_prefixes
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/application
http://www.abbreviations.com/
http://www.globalrh.com/medterm.htm