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Health Care Terminology

The Creation of medical terms

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Scientist turned to Greeks and Roman physicians such as Hippocrates and borrowed terms.

Hippocrates was the first physician to use the words: Asthma, diarrhea, and epilepsy.

Hippocrates is known as the________________.

Origin of health care terminology

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Root Word

The root word is the main part of the word. This is the subject of the word you are going to build.

Root Word

“Cardio”

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Prefix

The prefix is a word element added to the beginning of a word root.

The prefix is added to the root word to change the meaning or make it more specific.

The prefix “peri” means around.

Prefix

“Peri”

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Suffix The suffix is an

element added to the end of the word root. It changes or adds to the meaning of the root.

The suffix “itis” means inflammation.

Suffix

“itis”

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Putting it all together

Prefix

“Peri”

Around

Root word

“Cardio”

Heart

Suffix

“itis”

Inflammation

“Inflammation around the heart”

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Combining word elements

The combing vowel makes it possible to combine several word roots.

It also makes the word easier to pronounce.

When all the word elements are combined the word Pericarditis

Peri/card/itis, it means Inflammation around the heart

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Combining word elements Combing vowel is usually an o, for

example, oste means “bone”, and the o is the combing vowel

The o can be added to join a word root with another word root or a suffix

Sometimes an I, y, or u is used. Combing vowels make it easier to

pronounce the term. For example, osteomyelitis is easier to

pronounce than ostemyelitis.

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Combining word elements When a suffix begins with one of

the vowels (a,e,I,o,u), the o on the root word is not used.

Since oste/o ends in o and the suffix –itis begins with a vowel, the o is dropped.

The word is osteitis, which means “inflammation of the bone.

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Combining word elements

The combining vowel is placed between root words, for example osteoporosis (oste/o/por/osis).

Pronounce the word with the combining vowel, and you can tell that it is easier to say than osteporosis.

After you learn the roots, prefixes, and suffixes, you can combine many word parts to form medical terminology.

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Practice Scenario

Suppose you are not feeling well and find yourself sitting in a doctor's office. After examining you, the doctor writes something in your file and leaves the room.

You take a peek in your file and find that they wrote “hematuria " as your diagnosis. What is wrong with you?

Hemat means _____ and uria means ______.

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Application Aden/o/pathy Hepat/o/rrhagia Poly/arthr/itis Hyster/ectomy Hyster/o/salping/

ectomy Oste/o/por/osis

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Transcribing ReviewMr. Locklear came to the ER DOA. The

ambulance workers also brought in his wife who was having chest pain. The M.D. thought she was having a MI. The RN drew a CBC, Na, and Bun. She was put on BR. They took her B/P and it was 170/100. The PA decided to send her to the CCU. She was NPO this pm. Prior to being adm the LPN started an IV in her lf arm. The NA also put in an ng tube. There was not room in CCU or ICU so she had to be adm to med surg.

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References NCDPI Health Careers Science Exploration

Textbook