Medical Terminology for Health Professions Part 1 Flashcards
-algia
a suffix meaning … pain, painful condition. (pg6)
dys-
a prefix meaning … bad, difficult, or painful. (pg9)
-ectomy
a suffix meaning … surgical removal, cutting out. (pg13)
hyper-
a prefix meaning … excessive or increased. (pg4,9)
hypo-
a prefix meaning … deficient or decreased. (pg9)
-itis
a suffix meaning … inflammation. (pg4,6)
-osis
a suffix meaning … “abnormal condition, disease” … that begins with “-o”. (pg6)
-ostomy
a suffix meaning … the surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface. (pg13)
-otomy
a suffix meaning … cutting, surgical incision. (pg13)
-plasty
a suffix meaning … surgical repair. (pg7)
-rrhage
a suffix meaning … bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge. Most often used to describe sudden, severe bleeding. Similar to -rrhagia. (pg7)
-rrhaphy
a suffix meaning … surgical suturing to close a wound and includes the use of sutures, staples, or surgical glue. (pg7)
-rrhea
a suffix meaning … flow or discharge and refers to the flow of most body fluids. (pg7)
-rrhexis
a suffix meaning … rupture. (pg7)
-sclerosis
a suffix meaning … abnormal hardening. The opposite of -malacia. (pg7)
abdominocentesis
the surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid. (pg7, 481)
acronym
a word formed from the initial letter of the major parts of a compound term. (pg14)
acute
a condition that has a rapid onset, a severe course, and a relatively short duration. (p14)
angiography
the process of producing a radiographic (x-ray) study of blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium to make these blood vessels visible. (pg7, 152)
appendectomy
the surgical removal of the appendix. (pg13)
arteriosclerosis
the abnormal hardening of the walls of an artery or arteries. (pg7, 148)
arthralgia
pain in a joint or joints. (pg13)
colostomy
the surgical creation of an artificial excretory opening between the colon and the body surface. (pg13, 261-262)
cyanosis
the blue discoloration of the skin caused by a lack of adequate oxygen in the blood. (pg5, 221)
dermatologist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the skin. (pg15, 381)
diagnosis
the identification of a disease (plural, diagnoses). (pg14)
diarrhea
the frequent flow of loose or watery stools. (pg7)
edema
swelling caused by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in cells, tissues, or cavities of the body. (pg12, 15, 217, 280)
endarterial
pertaining to the interior or lining of an artery. (pg12, 137)
eponym
a disease, structure, operation, or procedure named for the person who discovered or described it first. For example, “Alzheimer’s disease” is named for a German neurologist. (pg14)
erythrocyte
a mature red blood cell. (pg5, 140)
fissure
a groove or crack-like sore of the skin. This term also describes normal folds in the contours of the brain. (pg14, 311, 385)
fistula
an abnormal passage, usually between two internal organs or leading from an organ to the surface of the body. This may be due to surgery, injury, or the draining of an abscess. (pg14, 283)
gastralgia
pain in the stomach, also known as a stomachache. (pg6)
gastritis
an inflammation of the stomach. (pg6, 250)
gastroenteritis
an inflammation of the stomach and small intestine. (pg5, 251)
gastrosis
any disease of the stomach. (pg6)
hemorrhage
the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time. This term also means to bleed. (pg7, 150)
hepatomegaly
abnormal enlargement of the liver. (pg6, 256)
hypertension
higher-than-normal blood pressure. (pg9, 151)
hypotension
lower-than-normal blood pressure. (pg9, 151)
infection
the invasion of the body by a pathogenic (disease-producing) organism. This can remain localized (near the point of entry) or can be systemic (affecting the entire body). Signs and symptoms of this include malaise, chills and fever, redness, heat and swelling, or exudate from a wound. (pg14)
inflammation
a localized response to an injury or to the destruction of tissues. The key indicators of this are (1) redness, (2) heat, (3) swelling, and (4) pain. These are caused by extra blood flowing into the area as part of the healing process. (pg15)
interstitial
between, but not within, the parts of a tissue. (pg 9, 218, 282)
intramuscular
within the muscle. (pg9)
laceration
a torn or jagged wound or an accidental cut wound. (pg15, 385)
lesion
a pathologic change of the tissues due to disease or injury. (pg15, 151, 384)
malaise
a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness that is often the first indication of an infection or other disease. (pg14)
mycosis
any abnormal condition or disease caused by a fungus. (pg15, 389)
myelopathy
any pathologic change or disease in the spinal cord. (pg15)
myopathy
any pathologic change or disease of muscle tissue. (pg15)
myorrhexis
the rupture of a muscle. (pg7)
natal
pertaining to birth. (pg8)
neonatology
the study of disorders of the newborn. (pg15)
neurorrhaphy
suturing together the ends of a severed nerve. (pg5, 326)
otorhinolaryngology
the study of the ear, nose, and throat. This specialty is also known as ENT (ear, nose, throat). (pg9, 10)
palpation
an examination technique in which the examiner’s hands are used to feel the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts. (pg15, 476)
palpitation
a pounding or racing heart. (pg15, 146)
pathology
the study of all aspects of diseases. Suffixes related to this describe specific disease conditions. (pg6, 28, 41)
phalanges
the bones of the fingers and toes (singular, phalanx). (pg12, 73, 77)
poliomyelitis
a viral infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord. (pg5, 323)
prognosis
a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disorder (plural, prognoses). (pg14)
pyoderma
any acute, inflammatory, pus-forming bacterial skin infection such as impetigo. (pg16)
pyrosis
discomfort due to the regurgitation of stomach acid upward into the esophagus, also known as heartburn. (pg16, 250)
remission
the temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a disease without having achieved a cure. (pg14, 323)
sign
objective evidence of disease such as a fever. (pg14)
supination
the act of rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand is forward or upward. (pg16, 105)
suppuration
the formation or discharge of pus. (pg16, 281)
supracostal
above or outside the ribs. (pg9)
symptom
subjective evidence of a disease, such as pain or a headache. (pg14)
syndrome
a set of signs and symptoms that occur as part of a specific disease process. (pg14)
tonsillitis
an inflammation of the tonsils. (pg5, 179)
trauma
means wound or injury. These are the types of injuries that might occur in an accident, shooting, natural disaster, or fire. (pg16)