Introduction to Healthcare Terminology

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Chapter 1

Introduction to Healthcare Terminology

Objectives

State the derivation of most healthcare terms.

Use the rules given to build and spell healthcare terms.

Use the rules given to change singular terms to their plural forms.

Recognize and recall an introductory word bank of prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms and their respective meanings.

ICD-10-CM Example from Tabular

R16 Hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, not elsewhere classified

R16.0. Hepatomegaly, not elsewhere classified

Hepatomegaly, not otherwise specified

R16.1. Splenomegaly, not elsewhere classified

Splenomegaly, not otherwise specified

R16.2. Hepatomegaly with splenomegaly, not elsewhere classified

Hepatosplenomegaly, not otherwise specified

ICD-10-PCS Example from Index

Introduction to ICD-10

Technology is making our world feel smaller—and more complicated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been publishing a listing of morbidity (disease) and mortality (death) data for more than 100 years. This listing is used to keep track of the rates of disease and death on much of our planet. Periodically, it is updated to reflect advances in medical science and new terminology. The use of the Internet to collect and publish statistics with this listing allows for faster dissemination of the information collected.

As of October 2015, the United States will begin using the International Classification of Diseases, 10^th edition (ICD-10). The American adaptation of ICD-10 is titled ICD-10-CM (clinical modification), the CM representing a substantial expansion of the classification system to give more detailed information about diseases. Accompanying the ICD-10-CM volume, an ICD-10-PCS (Procedure Classification System) has been developed to capture the vastly increased amount of information regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic techniques used to treat disease. In the United States, both volumes of ICD serve to capture encoded disease and procedure information that may be used for billing, research, and public policy.

Students who want to master the intricacies of coding and billing need to begin their study by learning the language of medical professionals and how that specific vocabulary is related to this new coding classification, ICD-10. This text will help you toward your goals by presenting the material in small, manageable segments with a variety of opportunities to test and reinforce the new material and concepts. Guideline Alert! and Special Note boxes will notify you of special concerns for coders, while illustrations and tables will provide additional explanations.

Derivation of Healthcare Terms

Healthcare terminology is a specialized vocabulary derived from Greek and Latin word components. This terminology is used by professionals in the medical field to communicate with each other. By applying the process of “decoding,” or recognizing the word components and their meanings and using these to define the terms, anyone will be able to interpret literally thousands of medical terms.

The English language and healthcare terminology share many common origins. This proves to be an additional bonus for those who put forth the effort to learn hundreds of seemingly new word parts. Two excellent and highly relevant examples are the combining forms (the “subjects” of most terms) gloss/o and lingu/o, which mean “tongue” in Greek and Latin, respectively. Because the tongue is instrumental in articulating spoken language, Greek and Latin equivalents appear, not surprisingly, in familiar English vocabulary. The table on the next page illustrates the intersection of our everyday English language with the ancient languages of Greek and Latin and can help us to clearly see the connections. Suffixes (word parts that appear at the end of some terms) and prefixes (word parts that appear at the beginning of some terms) also are presented in this table.

Ancient Word Origins in Current English and Healthcare Terminology Usage

Term	Word Origins	Definition
glossary	gloss/o tongue (Greek) -ary pertaining to	An English term meaning “an alphabetical list of terms with definitions.”
glossitis	gloss/o tongue (Greek) -itis inflammation	A healthcare term meaning “inflammation of the tongue.”
bilingual	bi- two lingu/o tongue (Latin) -al pertaining to	An English term meaning “pertaining to two languages.”
sublingual	sub- under lingu/o tongue (Latin) -al pertaining to	A healthcare term meaning “pertaining to under the tongue.”

Did you notice that healthcare terms use the word origins literally, whereas English words are related to word origins but are not exactly the same? Fortunately, most healthcare terms may be assigned a simple definition through the use of their word parts.

Types of Healthcare Terms

Decodable Terms

Decodable terms are those terms that can be broken into their Greek and Latin word parts and given a working definition based on the meanings of those word parts. Most medical terms are decodable, so learning word parts is important. The word parts are:

• Combining form: word root with its respective combining vowel.

Word root: word origin.

Combining vowel: a letter sometimes used to join word parts. Usually an “o” but occasionally an “e” or “i.”

• Suffix: word part that appears at the end of a term. Suffixes are used to indicate whether the term is an anatomic, pathologic, or procedural term.

• Prefix: word part that sometimes appears at the beginning of a term. Prefixes are used to further define the absence, location, number, quantity, or state of the term.

In our first examples, gloss/ and lingu/ are word roots with an “o” as their combining vowel. Gloss/o and lingu/o are therefore combining forms; -ary, -al, and –itis are suffixes; and bi- and sub- are prefixes. Figs. 1-1 and 1-2 demonstrate the decoding of the terms glossitis and sublingual.

Fig. 1-1 Decoding of the term **glossitis**.

Fig. 1-2 Decoding of the term **sublingual**.

Nondecodable Terms

Not all terms are composed of word parts that can be used to assemble a definition. These terms are referred to as nondecodable terms, that is, words used in medicine whose definitions must be memorized without the benefit of word parts. These terms will have a blank space in the word origin columns in the tables presented in the text or will include only a partial notation because the word origins either are not helpful or don’t exist. Examples of nondecodable terms include the following:

• Cataract: From the Greek term meaning “waterfall.” In healthcare language, this means “progressive loss of transparency of the lens.”

• Asthma: From the Greek term meaning “panting.” Although this word origin is understandable, the definition is “a respiratory disorder characterized by recurring episodes of paroxysmal dyspnea (difficulty breathing).”

• Diagnosis: The disease or condition that is named after a healthcare professional evaluates a patient’s signs, symptoms, and history. Although the term is built from word parts (dia-, meaning “through,” “complete”; and -gnosis, meaning “state of knowledge”), using these word parts to form the definition of diagnosis, which is “a state of complete knowledge,” really isn’t very helpful.

• Prognosis: Similar to diagnosis, the term prognosis can be broken down into its word parts (pro-, meaning “before” or “in front of”; and -gnosis, meaning “state of knowledge”), but this does not give the true definition of the term, which is “a prediction of the probable outcome of a disease or disorder.”

• Sequela: A condition that results from an injury or disease. Referred to in coding as a “late effect.”

The following is an example of a Guideline Alert from the ICD-10-CM coding manual. CM and PCS Guideline Alerts are scattered throughout the text to help students understand the connection between choosing the most specific correct medical term and accurate, complete coding.

CM Guideline Alert

Late Effects (Sequelae)

A late effect is the residual effect (condition produced) after the acute phase of an illness or injury has terminated. There is no time limit on when a late effect code can be used. The residual effect may be apparent early, such as in cerebral infarction, or it may occur months or years later, such as that due to a previous injury. Coding of late effects generally requires two codes sequenced in the following order: The condition or nature of the late effect is sequenced first. The late effect code is sequenced second.

An exception to the above guidelines are those instances where the code for late effect is followed by a manifestation code identified in the Tabular List and title, or the late effect code has been expanded (at the fourth, fifth, or sixth character level) to include manifestation(s). The code for the acute phase of an illness or injury that led to the late effect is never used with a code for the late effect.

• Acute: A term that describes an abrupt, severe onset to a disease (acu- means “sharp”).

• Chronic: Developing slowly and lasting for a long time (chron/o means “time”). Diagnoses may be additionally described as being either acute or chronic.

CM Guideline Alert

Acute and Chronic Condition

If the same condition is described as both acute (subacute) and chronic, and separate subentries exist in the Alphabetic Index at the same indentation level, code both and sequence the acute (subacute) code first.

• Sign: An objective finding of a disease state (e.g., fever, high blood pressure, rash).

• Symptom: A subjective report of a disease (pain, itching).

CM Guideline Alert

Signs and Symptoms

Codes that describe symptoms and signs, as opposed to diagnoses, are acceptable for reporting purposes when a related definitive diagnosis has not been established (confirmed) by the provider. Chapter 18 of ICD-10-CM—Symptoms, Signs, and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (codes R00.0-R99)—contains many, but not all, codes for symptoms.

• Syndrome: A group of signs and symptoms that consistently appear together.

CM Guideline Alert

Syndromes

Follow the Alphabetic Index guidance when coding syndromes. In the absence of Alphabetic Index guidance, assign codes for the documented manifestations of the syndrome.

• Etiology: Literally the “study of cause,” although the term is used in coding to simply refer to the cause of a disease.

• Manifestation: An outward demonstration or perception. Signs and symptoms are manifestations of diseases.

CM Guideline Alert

Etiology/Manifestation Convention (“Code First,” “USE Additional Code” and “in Diseases Classified Elsewhere” Notes)¹

Certain conditions have both an underlying etiology and multiple body system manifestations due to the underlying etiology. For such conditions, the ICD-10-CM has a coding convention that requires the underlying condition be sequenced first, followed by the manifestation. Wherever such a combination exists, there is a “use additional code” note at the etiology code and a “code first” note at the manifestation code. These instructional notes indicate the proper sequencing order of the codes, etiology followed by manifestation.

In most cases the manifestation codes will have in the code title, “in diseases classified elsewhere.” Codes with this title are a component of the etiology/manifestation convention. The code title indicates that it is a manifestation code. “In diseases classified elsewhere” codes are never permitted to be used as first-listed or principal diagnosis codes. They must be used in conjunction with an underlying condition code and they must be listed following the underlying condition.

¹ For more of this guideline, see ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.

Other types of terms that are not built from word parts include the following:

• Eponyms: Terms that are named after a person or place associated with the term. Examples include:

Alzheimer’s disease, which is named after Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist. The disease is a progressive mental deterioration.

Achilles tendon, a body part named after a figure in Greek mythology whose one weak spot was this area of his anatomy. Tendons are bands of tissue that attach muscles to bone. The Achilles tendon is the particular tendon that attaches the calf muscle to the heel bone (calcaneus). Unlike some eponyms, this one does have a medical equivalent, the calcaneal tendon.

Abbreviations and Symbols

Abbreviations are terms that have been shortened to letters and/or numbers for the sake of convenience. Symbols are graphic representations of a term. Abbreviations and symbols are extremely common in written and spoken healthcare terminology but can pose problems for healthcare workers. The Joint Commission has published a “DO NOT USE” list of dangerously confusing abbreviations, symbols, and acronyms that should be avoided (see Appendix D). The Institute of Safe Medical Practice, Inc., has provided a more extensive list. Each healthcare organization should have an official list, which includes the single meaning allowed for each abbreviation or symbol. Examples of acceptable abbreviations and symbols include the following:

• Simple abbreviations: A combination of letters (often, but not always, the first of significant word parts) and sometimes numbers

IHM: abbreviation for “intramuscular” (pertaining to within the muscles)

C2: second cervical vertebra (second bone in neck)

• Acronyms: Abbreviations that are also pronounceable

CABG: coronary artery bypass graft (a detour around a blockage in an artery of the heart)

TURP: transurethral resection of the prostate (a surgical procedure that removes the prostate through the urethra)

• Symbols: Graphic representations of terms

stands for female

stands for male

↑ stands for increased

↓ stands for decreased

+ stands for present

− stands for absent

Match the nondecodable term to its definition.

Decoding Terms

Check, Assign, Reverse, Define (CARD) Method

Using Greek and Latin word components to decipher the meanings of healthcare terms requires a simple four step process. You need to:

• Check for the word parts in a term.

• Assign meanings to the word parts.

• Reverse the meaning of the suffix to the front of your definition.

• Define the term.

Using Fig. 1-3, see how this process is applied to your first patient, Alex.

Fig. 1-3 How to decode a healthcare term using the **CARD** method.

Most of the terms presented in this text appear in standardized tables. The term and its pronunciation appear in the first column, the word origin in the second, and a definition in the third. A table that introduces six healthcare terms that include six different combining forms and suffixes is provided on p. 10. (The use of prefixes will be introduced later.) Success in decoding these terms depends on how well you remember the 12 word parts that are covered in following the table. Once you master these 12 word parts, you will be able to recognize and define many other medical terms that use these same word parts—a perfect illustration of how learning a few word parts helps you learn many healthcare terms.

The “wheels of terminology” included on Fig. 1-4 demonstrate how different suffixes in the table below can be added to a combining form to make a variety of terms.

Fig. 1-4 Body parts and their combining forms. Surrounding the figure are “terminology wheels” that show how different suffixes can be added to a combining form to make a variety of terms.

Common Combining Forms and Suffixes

Combining Forms	Suffixes
arthr/o = joint	-algia = pain
gastr/o = stomach	-tomy = cutting
ophthalm/o = eye	-scope = instrument to view
ot/o = ear	-logy = study of
rhin/o = nose	-plasty = surgically forming
hepat/o = liver	-itis = inflammation

The table below demonstrates how terms are presented in this book. Notice that the first column includes the term. The second column breaks the term down into word parts and their meanings. The third column includes the definition of the term and any synonyms.

Samples of Decodable Terms

Term	Word Origins	Definition
arthralgia	arthr/o joint -algia pain of	Pain of a joint. Also called arthrodynia.
gastrotomy	gastr/o stomach -tomy cutting	Incision of the stomach.
hepatitis	hepat/o liver -itis inflammation	Inflammation of the liver.
ophthalmoscope	ophthalm/o eye -scope instrument to view	Instrument used to view the eye.
otology	ot/o ear -logy study of	Study of the ear.
rhinoplasty	rhin/o nose -plasty surgically forming	Surgical formation of the nose.

Exercise 4:

Decoding the Terms Using Check, Assign, Reverse, and Define

Using the method shown in Fig. 1-3 and the 12 word parts in the table on p. 8, decode and define these five NEW terms.

1. ophthalmology __________________________________________________________________________________

2. otoplasty ________________________________________________________________________________________

3. gastralgia ________________________________________________________________________________________

4. arthroscope ______________________________________________________________________________________

5. rhinotomy _______________________________________________________________________________________

Building Terms

Now that you’ve seen how terms are decoded, we will discuss how they are built. First, a few rules on how to spell healthcare terms correctly.

Spelling Rules

With a few exceptions, decodable healthcare terms follow five simple rules.

1. If the suffix starts with a vowel, a combining vowel is not needed to join the parts. For example, it is simple to combine the combining form arthr/o and suffix -itis to build the term arthritis, which means “an inflammation of the joints.” The combining vowel “o” is not needed because the suffix starts with the vowel “i.”

2. If the suffix starts with a consonant, a combining vowel is needed to join the two word parts. For example, when building a term using arthr/o and -plasty, the combining vowel is retained and the resulting term is spelled arthroplasty, which refers to surgically forming a joint.

3. If a combining form ends with the same vowel that begins a suffix, one of the vowels is dropped. The term that means “inflammation of the inside of the heart” is built from the suffix -itis (inflammation), the prefix endo- (inside), and the combining form cardi/o. Endo– + cardi/o + -itis would result in endocardiitis. Instead, one of the i’s is dropped, and the term is spelled endocarditis.

4. If two or more combining forms are used in a term, the combining vowel is retained between the two, regardless of whether the second combining form begins with a vowel or a consonant. For example, joining gastr/o and enter/o (small intestine) with the suffix -itis, results in the term gastroenteritis. Notice that the combining vowel is kept between the two combining forms (even though enter/o begins with the vowel “e”), and the combining vowel is dropped before the suffix -itis.

5. Sometimes when two or more combining forms are used to make a medical term, special notice must be paid to the order in which the combining forms are joined. For example, joining esophag/o (which means esophagus), gastr/o (which means stomach), and duoden/o (which means duodenum, the first part of the small intestines) with the suffix -scopy (viewing), produces the term esophagogastroduodenoscopy. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy is a viewing of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. In this procedure, the examination takes place in a specific sequence, that is, esophagus first, stomach second, then the duodenum. Thus the term reflects the direction in which the scope travels through the body (Fig. 1-5).

Fig. 1-5 The decoding of the term **esophagogastroduodenoscopy**.

Suffixes

The body systems chapters in this text (Chapters 3 through 15) include many combining forms that are used to build terms specific to each system. These combining forms will not be seen elsewhere, except as a sign or symptom of a particular disorder. Suffixes, however, are used over and over again throughout the text. Suffixes usually can be grouped according to their purposes. The following tables cover the major categories.

Noun-Ending Suffixes

Noun endings are used most often to describe anatomical terms. Noun endings such as -icle, -ole, and -ule describe a diminutive structure.

Noun-Ending Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
-icle	small, tiny	cuticle	cut/o skin -icle small	Small skin (surrounding the nail).
-is	structure, thing	hypodermis	hypo- under derm/o skin -is structure	Structure under the skin.
-ole	small, tiny	arteriole	arteri/o artery -ole small	Small artery.
-ule	small, tiny	venule	ven/o vein -ule small	Small vein.
-um	structure, thing, membrane	endocardium	endo- within cardi/o heart -um structure	Structure within the heart.
-y	condition, process of	polydactyly	poly- many, much, excessive, frequent dactyl/o digitus (finger, toe) -y condition, process of	Condition of excessive fingers or toes.

Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes such as those listed below usually mean “pertaining to.” For example, when the suffix -ac is added to the combining form cardi/o, the term cardiac is formed, which means “pertaining to the heart.” Remember that when you see an adjective term, you need to see what it is describing. For example, cardiac pain is pain of the heart, and cardiac surgery is surgery done on the heart. An adjective tells only half of the story.

Adjective Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
-ac	pertaining to	cardiac	cardi/o heart -ac pertaining to	Pertaining to the heart.
-al	pertaining to	cervical	cervic/o neck -al pertaining to	Pertaining to the neck.
-ar	pertaining to	valvular	valvul/o valve -ar pertaining to	Pertaining to a valve.
-ary	pertaining to	coronary	coron/o* heart, crown -ary pertaining to	Pertaining to the heart.
-eal	pertaining to	esophageal	esophag/o esophagus -eal pertaining to	Pertaining to the esophagus.
-ic	pertaining to	hypodermic	hypo- below derm/o skin -ic pertaining to	Pertaining to below the skin.
-ous	pertaining to	subcutaneous	sub- under cutane/o skin -ous pertaining to	Pertaining to under the skin.

^*Coron/o literally means “crown,” but is used most frequently to describe the arteries that supply blood to the heart, so the meaning “heart” has been added.

Pathology Suffixes

Pathology suffixes describe a disease process or a sign or symptom. The meanings vary according to the dysfunctions that they describe.

Pathology Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
-algia	pain	cephalalgia	cephal/o head -algia pain	Pain in the head.
-cele	herniation	cystocele	cyst/o bladder, sac -cele herniation, protrusion	Herniation of the bladder.
-dynia	pain	cardiodynia	cardi/o heart -dynia pain	Pain in the heart.
-emia	blood condition	hyperlipidemia	hyper- excessive lipid/o fats -emia blood condition	Excessive fats in the blood.
-ia	condition	agastria	a- without gastr/o stomach -ia condition	Condition of having no stomach.
-itis	inflammation	gastroenteritis	gastr/o stomach enter/o small intestine -itis inflammation	Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine.
-malacia	softening	chondromalacia	chondr/o cartilage -malacia softening	Softening of the cartilage.
-megaly	enlargement	splenomegaly (Fig. 1-6)	splen/o spleen -megaly enlargement	Enlargement of the spleen.
-oma	tumor, mass	osteoma	oste/o bone -oma tumor, mass	Tumor of a bone.
-osis	abnormal condition	psychosis	psych/o mind -osis abnormal condition	Abnormal condition of the mind.
-pathy	disease process	gastropathy	gastr/o stomach -pathy disease process	Disease process of the stomach.
-ptosis	prolapse, drooping	hysteroptosis	hyster/o uterus -ptosis prolapse, drooping	Prolapse of the uterus.
-rrhage, -rrhagia	bursting forth	hemorrhage (Fig. 1-7)	hem/o blood -rrhage bursting forth	Bursting forth of blood.
-rrhea	discharge, flow	otorrhea	ot/o ear -rrhea discharge, flow	Discharge from the ear.
-rrhexis	rupture	cystorrhexis	cyst/o bladder, sac -rrhexis rupture	Rupture of the bladder.
-sclerosis	abnormal condition of hardening	arteriosclerosis	arteri/o artery -sclerosis abnormal condition of hardening	Abnormal condition of hardening of an artery.
-spasm	spasm; sudden, involuntary contraction	bronchospasm	bronch/o -spasm	spasm of a bronchus
-stenosis	abnormal condition of narrowing	tracheostenosis	trache/o trachea, windpipe -stenosis abnormal condition of narrowing	Abnormal condition of narrowing of the trachea or windpipe.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse -malacia, meaning softening, with -megaly, meaning enlargement.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse -sclerosis, meaning hardening, with -stenosis, meaning narrowing.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse -rrhage and -rrhagia, meaning bursting forth, with -rrhea, meaning discharge or flow.

Using the method shown in Figure 1-3 and the new word parts introduced in the preceding tables, decode and define these five NEW terms.

11. cardiomegaly ___________________________________________________________________________________

12. osteomalacia ____________________________________________________________________________________

13. valvulitis _______________________________________________________________________________________

14. cephalic ________________________________________________________________________________________

15. gastroptosis _____________________________________________________________________________________

ICD-10-PCS

The PCS volume of ICD-10 is a multi-axial (meaning that it describes not just one, but several characteristics), 7-character classification system that replaces its predecessor, ICD-9-CM, volume 3. The overall structure of the classification begins with Sections (e.g., medical and surgical, obstetrics, imaging, measurement, and monitoring), broad categories that divide all of the procedures into one of 16 different types. The largest of the Sections, Medical and Surgical, is divided into Body Systems, which are a grouping of body parts, some of which appear as traditional body systems (e.g., endocrine system, respiratory system) and some as parts of body systems (heart and great vessels, upper arteries, lower arteries, etc.). Each of the body systems is then subdivided into 31 distinct Root Operations. A Root Operation is the goal of the procedure. Examples include a resection, which is defined as a “cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part” and an inspection, which is defined as “visually and/or manually exploring a body part.” Each of these 31 Root Operations is then further coded for its specific Approach, Device, and Qualifer. An Approach is the method of access to the procedure site. A Device is the instrument that is used but is only specified when it remains after the procedure is completed. A Qualifier is any additional information particular to the procedure; it is a specified final character for the PCS. See the inside back cover of this text for a complete listing of Root Operations and Approaches, along with their definitions. Just remember—the end goal of coding using PCS is to uniquely identify every procedure with one specific and exclusive code.

Examples of How Root Operations Relate to Suffixes

-ectomy (cutting out) can be an alteration, a resection, an excision, or an extraction.

-plasty (surgically forming) can be an alteration, a dilation, a repair, or a supplement.

-stomy (making a new opening) can be a bypass, a drainage, or a repair.

-tomy (cutting) can be a drainage or division.

-tripsy (crushing) can be a destruction, fragmentation, or occlusion.

-pexy (fixation, suspension) is a repair or reposition.

-centesis (surgical puncture) is a drainage.

-scopy (viewing) is an inspection.

-desis (binding) is a fusion.

Procedure Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
-centesis	surgical puncture	amniocentesis	amni/o amnion, inner fetal sac -centesis surgical puncture	Surgical puncture of the inner fetal sac.*
-desis	binding	arthrodesis	arthr/o joint -desis binding	Binding of a joint.
-ectomy	cutting out	tonsillectomy	tonsill/o tonsil -ectomy cutting out	Cutting out the tonsils.
-graphy	recording	mammography	mamm/o breast -graphy recording	Recording the breast.
-metry	measuring	spirometry	spir/o breathing -metry measuring	Measuring breathing (Fig. 1-8).
-opsy	viewing	biopsy	bi/o living, life -opsy viewing	Viewing living tissue.
-pexy	suspension, fixation	patellapexy	patell/a kneecap, patella -pexy suspension, fixation	Suspension of the kneecap.
-plasty	surgically forming	rhinoplasty	rhin/o nose -plasty surgically forming	Surgically forming the nose.
-rrhaphy	suturing	splenorrhaphy	splen/o spleen -rrhaphy suturing	Suturing the spleen.
-scopy	viewing	esophagogastroduodenoscopy	esophag/o esophagus gastr/o stomach duoden/o duodenum -scopy viewing	Viewing the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
-stomy	making a new opening	colostomy	col/o colon, large intestine -stomy making a new opening	Making a new opening in the colon or large intestine (Fig. 1-9).
-tomy	cutting	osteotomy	oste/o bone -tomy cutting	Incision into the bone.
-tripsy	crushing	lithotripsy	lith/o stone -tripsy crushing	Crushing of stones.

^*Please note that these simple definitions are used to demonstrate the value of learning the Greek and Latin word parts for decodable terms. The definitions in the body system chapters are more robust.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse -ectomy, meaning cutting out, with -stomy, meaning making a new opening, or -tomy, meaning cutting.

Instrument Suffixes

Instruments are indicated by yet another set of suffixes. Note the obvious similarities to their procedural “cousins.” For example, electrocardiography is a diagnostic procedure that is done to measure the electrical activity in the heart; an electrocardiograph is the instrument that is used to perform electrocardiography.

Instrument Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
-graph	instrument to record	electrocardiograph	electr/o electricity cardi/o heart -graph instrument to record	Instrument to record the electricity of the heart.
-meter	instrument to measure	thermometer	therm/o temperature, heat -meter instrument to measure	Instrument to measure temperature.
-scope	instrument to view	ophthalmoscope	ophthalm/o eye -scope instrument to view	Instrument to view the eye.
-tome	instrument to cut	osteotome	oste/o bone -tome instrument to cut	Instrument to cut bone (Fig. 1-10).
-tripter	machine to crush	lithotripter	lith/o stone -tripter machine to crush	Machine to crush stone.
-trite	instrument to crush	lithotrite	lith/o stone -trite instrument to crush	Instrument to crush stones (Fig. 1-11).

Using the method shown in Figure 1-3 and the new word parts introduced in the preceding tables, decode and define these five NEW terms.

11. arthrocentesis ___________________________________________________________________________________

12. spirometer ______________________________________________________________________________________

13. hysteroscopy ____________________________________________________________________________________

14. cystoscope ______________________________________________________________________________________

15. splenectomy ____________________________________________________________________________________

Prefixes

Prefixes modify a medical term by indicating a structure’s or a condition’s:

Sometimes, as with other word parts, a prefix can have one or more meanings. For example, the prefix hypo- can mean “below” or “deficient.”

To spell a term with the use of a prefix, simply add the prefix directly to the beginning of the term. No combining vowels are needed!

Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example	Word Origins	Definition
a-	no, not, without	apneic	a- no, not, without pne/o breathing -ic pertaining to	Pertaining to without breathing.
an-	no, not, without	anophthalmia	an- without ophthalm/o eye -ia condition	Condition of without an eye.
ante-	forward, in front of, before	anteversion	ante- forward vers/o turning -ion process of	Process of turning forward.
anti-	against	antibacterial	anti- against bacteri/o bacteria -al pertaining to	Pertaining to against bacteria.
dys-	abnormal, difficult, bad, painful	dystrophy	dys- abnormal -trophy process of nourishment	Process of abnormal nourishment.
endo-, end-	within	endoscopy	endo- within -scopy viewing	Viewing within.
epi-	above, upon	epigastric	epi- above gastr/o stomach -ic pertaining to	Pertaining to above the stomach.
hyper-	excessive, above	hyperglycemia	hyper- excessive, above glyc/o sugar, glucose -emia blood condition	Blood condition of excessive sugar.
hypo-	below, deficient	hypoglossal	hypo- below gloss/o tongue -al pertaining to	Pertaining to below the tongue.
inter-	between	intervertebral	inter- between vertebr/o vertebra, backbone -al pertaining to	Pertaining to between the backbones.
intra-	within	intramuscular	intra- within muscul/o muscle -ar pertaining to	Pertaining to within the muscle.
neo-	new	neonatal	neo- new nat/o birth, born -al pertaining to	Pertaining to a newborn.
par-	near, beside	parotid	par- near ot/o ear -id pertaining to	Pertaining to near the ear.
para-	near, beside, abnormal	paraphilia	para- abnormal phil/o attraction -ia condition	Condition of abnormal attraction.
per-	through	percutaneous	per- through cutane/o skin -ous pertaining to	Pertaining to through the skin (Fig. 1-12).
peri-	surrounding, around	pericardium	peri- surrounding cardi/o heart -um structure	Structure surrounding the heart.
poly-	many, much, excessive, frequent	polyneuritis	poly- many, much, excessive, frequent neur/o nerve -itis inflammation	Inflammation of many nerves.
post-	after, behind	postnatal	post- after, behind nat/o birth, born -al pertaining to	Pertaining to after birth.
pre-	before, in front of	prenatal	pre- before nat/o birth, born -al pertaining to	Pertaining to before birth.
sub-	under, below	subhepatic	sub- under hepat/o liver -ic pertaining to	Pertaining to under the liver.
trans-	through, across	transurethral	trans- through urethr/o urethra -al pertaining to	Pertaining to through the urethra.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse inter-, meaning between, with intra-, meaning within.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse ante-, meaning forward, with anti-, meaning against.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse per-, meaning through, with peri-, meaning surrounding, and pre-, meaning before.

Be Careful!

Don’t confuse hyper-, meaning excessive, above, with hypo-, meaning below, deficient.

Using the method shown in Figure 1-3 and the new word parts introduced in the preceding tables, decode and define these five terms.

11. subhepatic ______________________________________________________________________________________

12. pericardium _____________________________________________________________________________________

13. dyspneic ________________________________________________________________________________________

14. percutaneous ____________________________________________________________________________________

15. hypoglycemia ___________________________________________________________________________________

http://evolve.elsevier.com/Shiland

Many students find that flash cards help them remember word parts. If this is a strategy that could work for you, now is a great place to start, whether the cards are purchased or handmade. One card will be needed for each word part, with the part on one side and the definition on the reverse. The Evolve website that accompanies this textbook provides electronic flash cards that can be sorted by chapter, by type of word part (prefix, suffix, combining form), and by abbreviation.

Singular/Plural Rules

Because most healthcare terms end with Greek or Latin suffixes, making a healthcare term singular or plural is not always done the same way as it is in English. The following table gives the most common singular/plural endings and the rules for using them. Examples of unusual singular/plural endings and singular/plural exercises will be included throughout the text.

Rules for Using Singular and Plural Endings

If a Term Ends in:	Form the Plural by:	Singular Example	Plural Example	Plural Pronounced as:
-a	dropping the -a and adding -ae	vertebra (a bone in the spine)	vertebrae	Long a, e, or i, depending on the term
-is	dropping the -is and adding -es	arthrosis (an abnormal condition of a joint)	arthroses	seez
-ix or -ex	dropping the -ix or -ex and adding -ices	appendix	appendices	seez
-itis	dropping the -itis and adding -itides	arthritis (inflammation of a joint)	arthritides	deez
-nx	dropping the -nx and adding -nges	phalanx (a bone in the fingers or toes)	phalanges	ng (as in sing) and jeez
-um	dropping the -um and adding an -a	endocardium (the structure inside the heart)	endocardia	ah
-us	dropping the -us and adding an -i	digitus (a finger or toe)	digiti	eye
-y	dropping the -y and adding -ies	therapy (a treatment)	therapies	eez

Exercise 8:

Plurals

Change the singular terms to plural using the rules given in the preceding table.

1. esophagus (the tube joining the throat with the stomach) ___________________________________________

2. larynx (the voice box) _____________________________________________________________________________

3. fornix (an arched structure) ________________________________________________________________________

4. pleura (the sac surrounding the lungs) ______________________________________________________________

5. diagnosis _________________________________________________________________________________________

6. myocardium ______________________________________________________________________________________

7. cardiomyopathy ___________________________________________________________________________________

8. hepatitis __________________________________________________________________________________________

Common Combining Forms

Combining Form	Meaning
arteri/o	artery
arthr/o	joint
bacteri/o	bacteria
bi/o	living, life
cardi/o	heart
cephal/o	head
cervic/o	neck, cervix
chondr/o	cartilage
col/o	large intestine, colon
coron/o	crown, heart
cut/o	skin
cutane/o	skin
cyst/o	bladder, sac
dent/i	tooth
derm/o	skin
duoden/o	duodenum
electr/o	electricity
enter/o	small intestine
esophag/o	esophagus
gastr/o	stomach
gloss/o	tongue
glyc/o	glucose, sugar
hem/o	blood
hepat/o	liver
hyster/o	uterus
lingu/o	tongue
lipid/o	lipid, fat
lith/o	stone
mamm/o	breast
muscul/o	muscle
my/o	muscle
nat/o	birth, born
neur/o	nerve
ophthalm/o	eye
oste/o	bone
ot/o	ear
path/o	disease
ped/o	child
phil/o	attraction
pne/o	breathing
psych/o	mind
rhin/o	nose
somn/o	sleep
spir/o	breathing
splen/o	spleen
therm/o	heat, temperature
tonsill/o	tonsil
trache/o	trachea, windpipe
troph/o	nourishment, development
urethr/o	urethra
valvul/o	valve
ven/o	vein
vers/o	turning
vertebr/o	backbone, vertebra

Chapter Review

Match the word parts to their definitions.

Word Part Definitions

Prefixes	Definition
a-	1. ______________ between

anti-

2. ______________ through

dys-

3. ______________ near, beside

inter-

4. ______________ within

intra-

5. ______________ against

par-

6. ______________ no, not, without

para-

7. ______________ surrounding, around

per-

8. ______________ near, beside, abnormal

peri-

9. ______________ before, in front of

poly-

10. ______________ many, much, excessive, frequent

pre-

11. ______________ under, below

sub-

12. ______________ abnormal, difficult, painful, bad

Suffixes Definition -ar

13. ______________ pain

-dynia

14. ______________ discharge, flow

-ectomy

15. ______________ narrowing

-graphy

16. ______________ tumor, mass

-ia

17. ______________ machine to crush

-itis

18. ______________ inflammation

-metry

19. ______________ bursting forth

-oma

20. ______________ viewing

-osis

21. ______________ hardening

-pathy

22. ______________ cutting

-plasty

23. ______________ surgically forming

-rrhage

24. ______________ cutting out

-rrhaphy

25. ______________ recording

-rrhea

26. ______________ measuring

-sclerosis

27. ______________ suturing

-scopy

28. ______________ making a new opening

-stenosis

29. ______________ abnormal condition

-stomy

30. ______________ disease process

-tomy

31. ______________ pertaining to

-tripter

32. ______________ condition

Wordshop

Prefixes	Combining Forms	Suffixes
*an-*	*cardi/o*	*-algia*
*endo-*	*cephal/o*	*-cele*
*hypo-*	*cervic/o*	*-ectomy*
*par-*	*col/o*	*-graphy*
*peri-*	*cyst/o*	*-ia*
*sub-*	*derm/o*	*-ic*
	*enter/o*	*-id*
	*gastr/o*	*-itis*
	*hepat/o*	*-megaly*
	*mamm/o*	*-scope*
	*ophthalm/o*	*-scopy*
	*ot/o*	*-stomy*
	*splen/o*	*-um*
	*tonsill/o*