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1. Copyright © 2023 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Medical
Terminology
CHAPTER 7

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Introduction (1 of 5)
 Paramedics must develop a strong working knowledge of medical terminology.
 Used to describe patient care, including:
 Medical history
 Assessment results
 Treatment
 Outcomes

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Introduction (2 of 5)
 You should understand
 Origin of medical terms
 Components
 Guidelines for forming words
 Incorrect use can cause harm to a patient or loss of a patient’s trust.

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Introduction (3 of 5)
 For effective communication and documentation, you must comprehend:
 Key terms
 Acronyms
 Symbols
 Abbreviations

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Introduction (4 of 5)
 Understanding medical terminology means:
 Breaking down each word into its components and having a good working
knowledge of the parts
 Learning accepted terms in your local area
 Determining if your emergency medical services (EMS) systems have lists of pre-
approved terms
 Have a working knowledge of common slang terms.

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Introduction (5 of 5)
 To expand your vocabulary:
 Download the medical terminology app.
 Carry a field guide or documentation handbook.
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Origins of Medical Words (1 of 5)
 Understanding the origins of medical terms helps you decipher the meanings.
 Most medical terms have Greek or Latin origins.
 Words referring to diseases are derived from Greek words.
 Words referring to anatomic structures are derived from Latin words.

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Origins of Medical Words (2 of 5)
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Origins of Medical Words (3 of 5)
 Eponyms
 Names of diseases, devices, procedures, or drugs based on the person who
invented, discovered, or first described them
 “Diesel engine” named for inventor Rudolf Diesel

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Origins of Medical Words (4 of 5)
 Eponyms (cont’d)
 Sometimes appear in the possessive form
 Hodgkin’s disease
 Hodgkin disease

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Origins of Medical Words (5 of 5)
 Eponyms (cont’d)
 Examples
 Alzheimer disease
 Apgar score
 Babinski reflex
 Cesarean section
 Cheyne-Stokes respirations
 Crohn disease
 Foley catheter
 Guillain-Barré syndrome

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Medical Term Components (1 of 14)
 Medical terms are made of distinct parts that perform specific functions.
 How the parts of a term are combined determines its meaning.

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Medical Term Components (2 of 14)
 Components that comprise medical terms:
 Word root
 Prefix
 Suffix
 Combining form

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Medical Term Components (3 of 14)
 Changing or deleting any portion of a term can alter its content.
 Refer to the master tables at the end of the chapter.

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Medical Term Components (4 of 14)
 Word roots
 Main part or stem of a word
 Conveys the basic meaning
 Some are complete words; others are not.

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Medical Term Components (5 of 14)
 Word roots (cont’d)
 Add or change a prefix or suffix to change the meaning of the term.
 Consider the context of a word before assigning its meaning.
 The same word root may have different meanings in different fields of study.

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Medical Term Components (6 of 14)
 Prefixes
 Appear at the beginning of a word
 Usually describe location or intensity
 Change the meaning of the medical term by describing what, how, why, or when of
the root
 Cutaneous versus subcutaneous

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Medical Term Components (7 of 14)
 Prefixes (cont’d)
 Learn to understand words by breaking apart prefixes and word roots.
 Apnea = without breath
 Prefix a- = without or lack of
 Word root -pnea = breath

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Medical Term Components (8 of 14)
 Numerical prefixes
 Used to indicate
 Number of sides, limbs, or sensory organs affected (eg, “monocular vision”)
 Time (eg, octogenarian)
 Quantities that are uncountable (eg, semicomatose)

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Medical Term Components (9 of 14)
 Suffixes
 Appear at the end of words
 Usually indicate:
 Procedures
 Conditions
 Diseases
 Parts of speech
 lip- (fat) plus -ase = lipase

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Medical Term Components (10 of 14)
 Combining vowels
 Connects word root to suffix or other word form
 Often an o
 Used when joining:
 A suffix that begins with a consonant
 Another word root

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Medical Term Components (11 of 14)
 Combining form: A word root, prefix, or suffix with an added vowel (combining
vowel)
 Gastromegaly
 Word root is gastr-
 Gastr/o + megaly
 Stomach + irregular enlargement

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Medical Term Components (12 of 14)
 If the suffix begins with a vowel, a combining vowel is not needed.
 Example: Gastric
 Gastr + -ic

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Medical Term Components (13 of 14)
 Guidelines for adding combining vowels to word roots
 Use before a suffix that begins with a consonant (eg, cyt/o + logy)
 Use to join other word roots (gastr/o/enteritis)
 Do not use before a suffix that begins with a vowel (eg, gastritis, not gastroitis)

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Medical Term Components (14 of 14)
 Common combining forms and vowels:
 Cardi/o + logy = cardiology (study of the heart)
 Neur/o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous system)

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Plural Endings
 Apply these rules
 Sometimes you add an s (lung to lungs)
 Words ending in:
 -a change to -ae (vertebra to vertebrae)
 -is change to -es (diagnosis to diagnoses)
 -ex or -ix change to -ices (apex to apices)
 -on or -um change to -a (ganglion to ganglia, ovum to ova)
 -us change to -i (bronchus to bronchi)

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Compound Words
 Words that contain more than one word root
 Example: Osteoarthritis
 Osteo (bone) + arthr (joint or joints) + -itis (inflammation)
 Osteoarthritis = inflammation of the bone joints

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Homonyms
 Two or more words that are spelled and/or pronounced the same way but have
different meanings
 Ileum versus ilium
 Dysphagia versus dysphasia
 Incorrect pronunciation can lead to serious medical errors.

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Antonyms
 Pairs of word roots, prefixes, or suffixes that have the opposite meaning of
another word.
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Synonyms
 Pairs of word roots, prefixes, or suffixes that have the same or almost the same
meaning.
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Topographic Anatomy (1 of 2)
 Superficial landmarks of the body that serve as guides to the structures
beneath
 Landmarks make up the body’s topography.
 Familiarize yourself with landmarks to provide a thorough assessment.

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Topographic Anatomy (2 of 2)
 Imagine the body in the anatomic position.
 Person is standing facing you.
 Arms at the sides
 Palms facing forward
 Thumbs point away from the body
 This position is a shared reference point.

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Anatomic Planes and Axes of the Body (1 of 4)
 Anatomic plane
 Imaginary flat surface dividing the body horizontally and vertically into sections
 Axis
 An imaginary line that divides the body equally and creates a point of rotation

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Anatomic Planes and Axes of the Body (2 of 4)
 Body can be divided along 3 main
axes.
 Coronal plane
 Transverse plane
 Sagittal plane
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Anatomic Planes and Axes of the Body (3 of 4)
 Three axes along which the body can be divided:
 Anteroposterior axis: Runs perpendicular to the coronal plane
 Longitudinal axis: Runs perpendicular to the transverse plane
 Horizontal axis: Runs perpendicular to the sagittal plane

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Anatomic Planes and Axes of the Body (4 of 4)
 Planes and axes help to:
 Identify the location of internal structures.
 Understand the relationships between and among organs.
 Cross section
 Longitudinal section

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Specific Structures of the Body (1 of 4)
 Many body structures have specific names.
 To describe an injury’s location, paramedics use:
 Anatomic planes, body surfaces, and imaginary lines
 Familiarize yourself with these regions to:
 Communicate effectively with other professionals
 Help you break down other terms

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Specific Structures of the Body (2 of 4)
 Example: Sternocleidomastoid
 Combination of sterno-, cleido-, and -mastoid
 If you understand the roots, you can locate the origin and insertion of this neck
muscle.

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Specific Structures of the Body (3 of 4)
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Specific Structures of the Body (4 of 4)
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Body Cavities (1 of 3)
 Contain various organs and other structures
 Can be grouped into:
 Dorsal cavities (posterior)
 Ventral cavities (anterior)

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Body Cavities (2 of 3)
 Dorsal cavities
 Cranial
 Spinal
 Ventral cavities
 Thoracic
 Abdominal
 Pelvic

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Body Cavities (3 of 3)
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Directional Terms (1 of 9)
 Directional terms
 Describe relative positions of body parts and imaginary anatomic divisions
 Use to describe the location of pain or injury.

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Directional Terms (2 of 9)
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Directional Terms (3 of 9)
 Directional terms occur in pairs
 Superior and inferior
 Lateral and medial
 Proximal and distal
 Superficial and deep
 Anterior and posterior
 Palmar and plantar
 Apex

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Directional Terms (4 of 9)
 Superior and inferior
 Superior: Nearer to the head
 Inferior: Nearer to the feet
 Also describe the relationship of one structure to another

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Directional Terms (5 of 9)
 Lateral and medial
 Lateral
 Body parts that lie farther from the midline
 Medial
 Body parts that lie closer to the midline

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Directional Terms (6 of 9)
 Proximal and distal
 Describe the relationship of any two structures to each other
 Proximal: Closer to the body
 Distal: Farther from the trunk/nearer to the free end of the extremity

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Directional Terms (7 of 9)
 Superficial and deep
 Superficial: Closer to or on the skin
 Deep: Farther inside the body and away from skin

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Directional Terms (8 of 9)
 Anterior and posterior
 Anterior (or ventral)
 Refers to the belly side of the body
 Posterior (or dorsal)
 Refers to the spinal side of the body

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Directional Terms (9 of 9)
 Palmar and plantar
 Palmar (or volar) surface
 Front region of the hand (the palm)
 Plantar (or volar) surface
 Bottom of the foot
 Apex (plural apices or apexes)
 Tip(s) of a structure

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Movement and Positional Terms (1 of 6)
 Movement terms
 Useful in explaining mechanism of injury
 Range of motion: Full distance a joint can be moved

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Movement and Positional Terms (2 of 6)
 Movement terms (cont’d)
 Flexion = Bending of a joint
 Extension = Straightening of a joint
 Adduction = Motion toward the midline
 Abduction = Motion away from the midline
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Movement and Positional Terms (3 of 6)
 A patient’s neck can be in one of several positions when the patient is lying
supine.
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Movement and Positional Terms (4 of 6)
 Prefix hyper- is added to the terms flexion or extension to indicate mechanism
of injury.
 Hyperflexion: Maximum flexion or flexion beyond normal range of motion
 Hyperextension: Maximum extension or extension beyond the normal range of
motion

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Movement and Positional Terms (5 of 6)
 Wrist injuries can be described using these terms
 Supination: Turning the palms upward
 Pronation: Turning the palms downward

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Movement and Positional Terms (6 of 6)
 Rotational deformities
 Internal rotation: Turning the anterior portion of an extremity toward the midline
 External rotation: Turning an extremity away from the midline

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Other Directional Terms (1 of 3)
 Bilateral: Appears on both sides of midline
 Unilateral: Only one side of the body
 Ipsilateral: Same side of body
 Contralateral: Opposite side of body

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Learning,
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Ascend
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American
Academy
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Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Other Directional Terms (2 of 3)
 Abdominal cavity is divided into 4 equal quadrants.
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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Learning,
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American
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Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Other Directional Terms (3 of 3)
 Abdomen can also be divided into 9 regions.
Data from: Shier DN, Butler JL, Lewis R. Hole’s Essentials of Human Anatomy and
Physiology, 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 2009.

62. Copyright
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Position of the Patient (1 of 3)
 Use specific terms to describe position.
 Prone: Lying face down
 Supine: Lying face up
 Fowler position: Patient is sitting straight up, with knees bent or straight.
 Semi-Fowler position: Patients sits at a 45° angle.

63. Copyright
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Position of the Patient (2 of 3)
 Recovery position
 Helps maintain a clear airway in an unresponsive patient and prevents aspiration of
vomitus
 Left lateral recumbent position

64. Copyright
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
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the
American
Academy
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Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Position of the Patient (3 of 3)
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.

65. Copyright
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (1 of 7)
 Shorthand used for communication
 Developed for speed
 Do not trade speed for accuracy.
 Use only commonly understood acronyms and abbreviations to minimize errors.

66. Copyright
©
2023
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Jones
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Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (2 of 7)
 Acronyms
 Form shortened words from the initials of several words to produce a new word or
phrase
 Example: “Urban Search and Rescue” becomes USAR.

67. Copyright
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by
Jones
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Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (3 of 7)
 An abbreviation is considered an acronym if it’s pronounced as a word.
 Ensure that abbreviations you use are consistent with those approved in your
EMS area.

68. Copyright
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2023
by
Jones
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Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (4 of 7)
 Error-prone abbreviations
 Serious errors occur when an abbreviation is not interpreted as intended.
 Some agencies publish “do not use” lists.
 Some agencies limit or ban use of abbreviations.

69. Copyright
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by
Jones
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (5 of 7)
 Do not use trailing zeros or naked decimals.
 “5 mg” not “5.0 mg”
 “0.5 mg” not “.5 mg”

70. Copyright
©
2023
by
Jones
&
Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (6 of 7)
 Symbols
 Sometimes used as a shortcut
 Use only accepted symbols to avoid confusion or errors.
 Learn which abbreviations are acceptable in your service area.
 When in doubt, write out the term in full.

71. Copyright
©
2023
by
Jones
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Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols (7 of 7)
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.

72. Copyright
©
2023
by
Jones
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Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Medical Terminology Related to Pharmacology (1 of 3)
 Become familiar with terminology related to medications and medication
administration.
 Prefixes commonly used in medication administration
 Metric conversions used in drug calculation
 Selected medical abbreviations associated with pharmacology

73. Copyright
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2023
by
Jones
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Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
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Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Medical Terminology Related to Pharmacology (2 of 3)
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.

74. Copyright
©
2023
by
Jones
&
Bartlett
Learning,
LLC,
an
Ascend
Learning
Company
and
the
American
Academy
of
Orthopaedic
Surgeons.
Medical Terminology Related to Pharmacology (3 of 3)
© Jones & Bartlett Learning.