Medical Terminology T1 Flashcards
abscess
build up of pus within body tissue
acute
severe and sudden in onset
adherence
person’s behaviour (taking medication, following a diet, and/or executing lifestyle changes) corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider
adjunct
thing joined or added to something else as a supplement
afebrile
not having a fever
agranulocytosis
deficiency of white blood cells in blood
- cyt (root): cell
- osis (suffix): state or condition / process, condition, or state, usually abnormal or disease, production or increase
alopecia
partial or complete loss of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
ambulatory
able to walk – not bedridden
amenorrhea
absence of menstrual periods
- a (prefix): lack, without
- men (root): menstruation
- rrhea (suffix): flow or discharge
amnesia
partial or total loss of memory
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
analgesic
acting to relieve pain
- algesi (root): pain
- ic (suffix): pertaining to
anaphylaxis
severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction
andropause
condition associated to decrease in the male hormone testosterone levels
- andr (root): male
anemia
deficency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in blood
- an (prefix): without, lacking
- emia (suffix): blood condition
anhedonia
inability to feel pleasure
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
aneurysm
abnormal buldge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel
- neur (root): nerve
angioedema
swelling beneath the skin
- angi (root): vessel
anorexia
lack or loss of appetite for food
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
anterior
toward the front
antiemetic
used to prevent or relieve nausea and vomiting
antibiotic
medicines that destroys or slows down the growth of bacteria
anti-inflammatory
substance or treatment that reduces swelling
antipruritic
relieving or preventing itching
antipyretic
used to prevent or reduce fever
- pyr (root): fever, heat
antiseptic
preventing or slowing down the growth of microorganisms
antitussive
used to prevent or relieve a cough
aphagia
loss of the ability to swallow
- a (prefix): without, lacking
- phagia (suffix): eating, devouring
arrhythmia
irregular or abnormal heartbeat
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
arthralgia
joint pain
- arthr (root): joint
- algia (suffix): pain
ascites
build up of fluid in the abdomen
aspiration
breathing in foreign substances into the airways or lungs
- spir (root): breathe, breathing
asthenia
lack of energy and strength
- asthenia (suffix): weakness
ataxia
lack of muscle coordination and control
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
atrophy
decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue
auscultation
act of listening to the sounds made from the heart, lungs, or other organs
axillary
relating to the armpit
- axill (root): armpit
bilateral
involving or affecting two or both sides
- bi (prefix): two
biopsy
examination of a sample of tissue taken from the body
benign
not threatening to health or life
bronchitis
inflammation (swelling) of the tubes that lead to the lungs
- bronch (root): bronchus
- itis (suffix): inflammation
bradycardia
abnormally slow heart rate
- brady (prefix): slow
- cardi (root): heart
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
bradypnea
abnormally slow breathing rate
- brady (prefix): slow
- pnea (suffix): breathing
buccal
relating to the cheek
- bucc (root): cheek
cachexia
extreme weight loss and muscle wasting of the body due to chronic illness
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
candidiasis
fungal infection caused by a yeast called Candida
- iasis (suffix): state or condition
cardiovascular
relating to the heart and blood vessels
- cardi (root): heart
catheter
flexible tube inserted through a narrow opening into a body cavity
chronic
persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
comorbidity
presence of two or more diseases/medical conditions in a patient
compliance
action or act of complying with a command
constriction
making something narrower or tightening
contraceptive
method or device that serves or prevent pregnancy
- contra (prefix): against, opposite
contraindication
anything that is a reason for a person to not receive a particular treatment because it may be harmful
- contra (prefix): against, opposite
contusion
bruise – region where blood capillaries have been ruptured
corticosteroids
any steroid hormone made in the adrenal cortex (outer part of adrenal gland)
crackles
clicking, rattling, or crackling noise made by the lungs during inhalation
cranial
relating to the skull
- crani (root): skull
cyanotic
showing cyanosis – marked by blue or purple discoloration
- cyan (root): blue
cyanosis
bluish or purplish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes due to poor oxygen in blood
- cyan (root): blue
- osis (suffix): state or condition / process, condition, or state, usually abnormal or disease, production or increase
delirium
acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention, usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations (reduced awareness in environment)
dementia
loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that interfere with daily life
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
diagnosis
identifying nature of illness or other problems by examination of symptoms
- osis (suffix): process, condition, or state, usually abnormal or disease, production or increase
diaphoretic
causing perspiration (sweating)
- diaphor (root): sweat
differential diagnosis
differentiating between two or more conditions that share similar signs or symptoms (more than one possibility for diagnosis)
distention
distended, enlarged or swollen from internal pressure
diastolic
when heart relaxes to allow chambers to fill with blood
- minimum arterial BP during relaxation of heart
diplopia
double vision
- dipl (root): two, double
- opia (suffix): vision
diuretic
something that increases flow of urine
diuresis
increased or excessive production of urine
- esis (suffix): state or condition
dorsalis
relating to the back or posterior of a structure
dose
quantity of a drug taken or recommended to be taken at a time
dyskinesia
involuntary, erratic movements
- dys (prefix): difficult/painful/abnormal
- kinesi (root): movement/motion
- ia (suffix): condition of disease or abnormal state
dysphagia
difficulty in swallowing
- dys (prefix): difficult/painful/abnormal
- phagia (suffix): eating, devouring
dystrophy
weakness in muscles that leads to reduced mobility
- dys (prefix): difficult/painful/abnormal
dyspnea
difficulty breathing
- dys (prefix): difficult, laboured, painful, abnormal
- pnea (suffix): breathing
dysuria
painful or difficult urination
- dys (prefix): difficult/painful/abnormal
- uria (suffix): urine, urination
edema
swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissue
effusion
abnormal collection of fluid in hollow spaces or between tissues of the body
egophony
abnormal transmission of sounds from the lung
- modification of voice sounds resembling bleating when listening to the lungs
ejection fraction
measurement of the percentage of blood leaving your heart every time it contracts
electrolyte
salts and minerals that carry an electric charge
emesis
action or process of vomiting
- emesis (suffix): vomiting
emollient
substance that softens or soothes the skin
encephalitis
inflammation of the brain
- encephala (root): brain
- itis (suffix): inflammation
endocarditis
inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocardium)
- cardi (root): heart
- itis (suffix): inflammation
enema
inserting gas or liquid into the rectum
enteritis
inflammation of the small intestine
- itis (suffix): inflammation
epidural
on or around the dura mater – (of anesthetic) injection into the space around the spinal cord to produce loss of sensation below waist
epistaxis
nosebleed
erythema
reddening of the skin – rash
- erythr (root): red
etiology
cause or manner of causation of a disease or condition
- ology (suffix): study of
exacerbation
worsening – increase in severity of a problem, illness, or bad situation
exfoliate
removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin
expectorant
agent that promotes secretion of sputum/mucus from respiratory tract
extraocular
ocurring or situated outside the eyeball
- ocul (root): eye
extrapyramidal symptoms
drug-induced movement disorders (side effects), like involuntary tremors and muscle contractions, slurred speech, anxiety, and slowed thinking
extravasation
- leakage of injected (vesicant) drugs/solutions into the surrounding tissues of an IV site
- leakage of a blood or blood cells from vessels into the surrounding area
exophthalmos
bulging or protruding eyeballs
- ophthalm (root): eye
exudate
mass of cells and fluid that has seeped out of blood vessels or an organ, especially during inflammation
febrile
having or showing symptoms of a fever
fibrosis
development of fibrous connective tissue
- osis (suffix): state or condition / process, condition, or state, usually abnormal or disease, production or increase
fistula
abnormal connection between two body parts
flaccid
soft and hanging loosely or limply
flatulence
buildup of gas in digestive system
galactorrhea
excessive or inappropriate milk production
- lact (root): milk
- rrhea (suffix): flow or discharge
gangrene
localized death and decomposition of body tissue from obstructed circulation or bacterial infection
gastrointestinal
relating to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or GI system – stomach and intestines
- gastr (root): stomach
genitourinary
refers to the urinary and genital organs
gestation
period of time between conception and birth
- process of carrying or being carried in the womb between conception and birth – development of something over a period of time
goiter
abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland
gynecomastia
enlargement of breast tissue in males
- gyn (root): woman
- oma (suffix): tumour
- mast (root): breast
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
halitosis
bad smelling breath
- osis (suffix): state or condition / process, condition, or state, usually abnormal or disease, production or increase
hemostasis
stopping the flow of blood
- hem (root): blood
hemolysis
breakdown or destruction of RBCs
- hem (root): blood
hematuria
presence of blood in urine
- hemat (root): blood
- uria (suffix): urine, urination
hemiplegia
paralysis of one side of the body due to a disease or injury of the motor centres in the brain
- hemi (prefix): half
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
hemoptysis
coughing up blood
- hemo (prefix): blood, blood vessels
hemorrhage
excessive bleeding
- hemo (prefix): blood, blood vessels
hereditary
determined by genetic factors, able to be passed on from parents to offspring (inheritance)
hernia
when an internal organ or body part protrudes through the wall of muscle or tissue
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
hydrophilic
having a strong affinity for water
hydrophobic
lacking an affinity for water – repelling water
hygroscopic
tending to absorb moisture from the air
hyperglycemia
high blood glucose level in blood
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
- glyc (root): sugar
- emia (suffix): blood condition
hyperkalemia
high potassium level in blood
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
- kal (root): potassium
- emia (suffix): blood condition
hypernatremia
high sodium level in blood
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
- emia (suffix): blood condition
hypertension
high blood pressure
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
hypoglycemia
lower than normal blood sugar (glucose) level
- hypo (prefix): under, deficient
- glyc (root): sugar
- emia (suffix): blood condition
hyponatremia
lower than normal sodium level in blood
- hypo (prefix): under, deficient
- emia (suffix): blood condition
hypertrophy
excessive enlargement or growth of an organ or body part
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
hyperplasia
increased cell production in a normal tissue or organ
- hyper (prefix): above, beyond, excessive
- ia (suffix): state or condition / condition of diseased or abnormal state
hypokalemia
lower than normal potassium level in your bloodstream
- hypo (prefix): under, deficient
- kal (root): potassium
- emia (suffix): blood condition
