CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 31. MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 

Medical terminology is a standardized language used by healthcare professionals to describe the human body, its functions, diseases, procedures, and treatments accurately and efficiently. 

Understanding medical terminology helps caregivers: 

• Communicate effectively with doctors and nurses. 

• Record patient data accurately. 

• Understand diagnoses, prescriptions, and care instructions. 

Basic Structure of Medical Terms 

Most medical terms are built from prefixes, roots, and suffixes. 

1. Root Word 

• The core of the term; usually indicates the body part or system. 

• Examples: 

• cardi – heart 

• nephr – kidney 

• derm – skin 

2. Prefix 

• Comes at the beginning; often indicates location, number, time, or status. 

• Examples: 

• hypo- – below, under 

• hyper- – above, excessive 

• tachy- – fast 

• brady- – slow 

3. Suffix 

• Comes at the end; often indicates condition, disease, or procedure. 

• Examples: 

• -itis – inflammation 

• -logy – study of 

• -ectomy – removal 

• -emia – blood condition 

Examples of Medical Terms and Their Meanings 

Term 

Breakdown 

Meaning 

Cardiology 

cardi (heart) + logy 

Study of the heart 

Nephrectomy 

nephr (kidney) + ectomy 

Surgical removal of a kidney 

Dermatitis 

derm (skin) + itis 

Inflammation of the skin 

Bradycardia 

brady (slow) + cardia 

Slow heart rate 

Hyperglycemia 

hyper (excessive) + glyc (sugar) + emia (blood) 

High blood sugar 

Common Medical Abbreviations 

Abbreviation 

Meaning 

BP 

Blood Pressure 

HR 

Heart Rate 

RR 

Respiratory Rate 

NPO 

Nothing by mouth (nil per os) 

PRN 

As needed 

BID 

Twice a day 

TID 

Three times a day 

QID 

Four times a day 

Tips for Learning Medical Terminology 

• Break complex words into parts (prefix-root-suffix). 

• Use flashcards for frequent practice. 

• Learn common roots and suffixes. 

• Practice with real-life examples and patient charts.