The Construction of Medical Words Notes

The Anatomy of Medical Terms 1.1: The Construction of Medical Words All medical terms have one or more roots. The root provides the meaning of the word. Example: The word pneumonia has the root pneum-, meaning lung or air. The combining vowel is added to more easily combine the root with other word parts. The combining form is the root + the combining vowel. The letter “o” is the most common combining vowel. Combining forms: Can be attached to another root or combining form. Ex. Hem/o/pneum/o/thorax Can precede another word element called a suffix. Ex. Pneum/o/thorax Can follow a prefix. Throughout this textbook, the combining vowel will be separated from the root by a slash (/) whenever the term is being analyzed. Example: respir/a combining form In the word pneumothorax: pneum/o is the combining form meaning lung or air; thorax is a root meaning chest. Pneumothorax means air in the chest. o is the combining vowel. (Remember, “o” is the most commonly used combining vowel.) In the word pulmonology: pulmon/o is the combining form meaning lung or air; -logy is a suffix meaning study of. Pulmonology means study of the lung. More than one root can have the same meaning. This is because roots have Greek and Latin origins. For instance, the roots pneumon- and pulmon- both mean lung. A suffix is found at the end of a medical term. It can be attached to a root word or a combining form. Note the following rules for using a suffix and a combining vowel: If a suffix starts with a vowel, then no combining vowel is needed. For example, in the word dermatitis, the suffix -itis begins with a vowel, so no combining vowel is needed. If a suffix begins with a consonant, a combining vowel is needed. For example, in the word dermatologist, dermat/o is the combining form and -logist is the suffix. To make the word complete, a combining vowel of “o” is needed between the root and suffix, which begins with a consonant. Occasionally a word can have two suffixes. A suffix is found at the end of a medical term. It can be attached to a root word or a combining form. Note the following rules for using a suffix and a combining vowel: If a suffix starts with a vowel, then no combining vowel is needed. For example, in the word pulmonary, the suffix -ary begins with a vowel, so no combining vowel is needed. If a suffix begins with a consonant, a combining vowel is needed. For example, in the word pulmonology, the suffix -logy begins with a consonant. To make the word complete, a combining vowel of “o” is needed between the root and suffix. A suffix is found at the end of a medical term. It can be attached to a root word or a combining form. If a suffix starts with a vowel, then no combining vowel is needed. For example: In the word pneumonia, the suffix -ia begins with a vowel, so no combining vowel is needed. In the word respiration, the suffix –ation begins with a vowel, so no combining form is needed. A prefix is found at the beginning of a medical term. It gives a new meaning to the following root. Note that a prefix never requires the use of a combining vowel. For example, pericardium and epigastric both contain prefixes but do not require the use of a combining vowel. Occasionally a term may have two prefixes. pre- mature prefix + root = Premature, before the normal pregnancy. post- mature prefix + root = Postmature, after the normal pregnancy. uniUnilateral, one side of the body. biBilateral, two (both) sides of the body. periPerinatal, around the time of birth. epiEpigastric, above the stomach. hypoHypogastric, below the stomach. microMicrocyte, small red blood cell. macroMacrocyte, large red blood cell. perinatal peri- prefix -nat- root -al suffix Perinatal means around the time of birth. hypogastric. hypo- is the prefix meaning below. No combining vowel is required. -gastr- is the root word meaning stomach. -ic is a suffix meaning pertaining to. 1.2: Word Deconstruction, Plurals, Pronunciation, and Precision When you see an unfamiliar medical term, first identify the suffix. For example: cardiologist The suffix is -logist, one who studies and is a specialist in. Cardi/o is the combining form for heart. myocardial The suffix is -al, pertaining to; my/o is the combining form for muscle; and the root cardi means heart. cardiomyopathy, the suffix -pathy means disease. There are two combining forms: cardi/o (heart) and my/o (muscle). Cardiomyopathy is disease of the heart muscle. Plural endings are frequently not based on the English language. Plural forms of medical terms are based on Latin and Greek languages. Adding an “s” to many medical terms does not make them plural; the student must memorize the plurals of medical terms. Singular Ending: -a, -ia , Axilla, Diagnosis Plural Ending: -ae, -es, Axillae, Diagnoses Correct pronunciation of medical terms is essential so that other health professionals can understand what you are saying. It is an especially important component in ensuring patient safety and providing high-quality patient care. Some words that are pronounced the same are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example: Both ilium and ileum are pronounced ILL-ee-um. The ilium is a bone in the pelvis. The ileum is a segment of the small intestine. Some words sound the same if incorrectly pronounced. For example: The term prostate, pronounced PROSS-tate, refers to the gland at the base of the male bladder. The term prostrate, pronounced pross-TRAYT, means to be physically weak or exhausted or to lie flat on the ground. Altering the pronunciation or spelling of a word can dramatically change the meaning. Many medical terms sound similar; therefore, precise spelling and pronunciation must be clearly differentiated. A misspelling or mispronunciation could alter the treatment and medication prescribed to a patient, resulting in injury or death. Many words, when they are written or pronounced, have an element that, if misspelled or mispronounced, gives the intended word an entirely different meaning. Consider the case of confusing hypotension (low blood pressure) with hypertension (high blood pressure). A treatment response to the different meaning could cause a medical error and perhaps the death of a patient. Precision in written and verbal communication is essential to prevent errors in patient care. Being a health professional requires the utmost attention to detail and precision in both written documentation and verbal communication. A patient’s life can be in your hands. Any incorrect spelling can reflect badly on the whole health team. Any incorrect pronunciation and spelling can reflect badly on you as a health professional. Roots provide the core meaning of medical terms. Roots are often joined to other elements in the medical term by placing a combining vowel on the end of the root. Adding a suffix or a prefix to a root can build new words with different meanings. Precision in communication is vitally important.