This document provides a list of common medical roots, suffixes, prefixes, and abbreviations to help understand terminology used in healthcare. It includes Greek and Latin roots often used in medical words pertaining to parts of the body and conditions. Examples of suffixes include -itis for inflammation, -ectomy for surgical removal, and -ology for the study of. Common prefixes include a- for absence, dys- for difficulty, and hyper- for increased. Abbreviations used in patient charts, orders and documentation are also defined such as c/o for complaining of, SOB for shortness of breath, and PRN for as needed. An activity is included having students create medical words using the roots and practice interpreting words.

1. Hospital Practice
&
Care of Patient
RAD 104
Part 2

2. List of medical roots, suffixes and
prefixes
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical
_roots,_suffixes_and_prefixes

3. • galact(o)- / galactose
/ lacto
What is the Meaning ?

4. What is the
connection ?
• galact(o)- / galactose
/ lacto
What is the Meaning ?

5. Root words
• angi/o - vessel
• cardi/o – heart

6. Common Medical Root Words
• cephal/o – head
• crani/o - skull

7. • psych/o -mind
• Cerebr/o Brain

8. • Enter/o - intestines
Gastr/o - stomach

9. • col/o - colon
cyst/o –
sac containing fluid
urinary bladder

10. • splen/o – spleen
• nephr/o, ren/o – kidney

11. • Hem/o – blood
Hemat/o
• Hepat/o - liver

12. • My/o – muscle
• Neur/o – nerve

13. • Oste/o - bone
• Arthr/o - Joint

14. • Acr/o - extremities

15. • pneum/o
• pulmon/o, - Lung
• thorac/o - chest

16. cost/o – ribs
• derm/o, dermat/o,
cutane – skin

17. • Or/o - mouth
Glosso/linguo, - tongue

18. • ot/o – ear
rhin/o – nose

19. Colors
• cyan/o blue
• erythr/o red
• leuk/o white
• melan/o black
• xanth/o yellow

20. Common Medical Suffixes
• -ac, -al, -ic pertaining to
• -algia pain
• -ectomy surgical removal
• -itis inflammation
• -malacia softening
• -megaly enlargement
• -ology the study of
• -ologist specialist

21. Common Medical Suffixes
• -oid -like, resembling
• -osis - abnormal condition
• -otomy - cut into
• -pathy - disease
• -scope - instrument to visually
examine
• -oma -tumor

22. Common Medical Prefixes
• a - absence of; without
• ab- away from
• ad- toward, in the direction of
• ante- before
• anti- against
• auto - self
• dys- difficult, painful
• dors- back
• endo- within
• epi- above, upon

23. Common Medical Prefixes (cont.)
• hemi- half
• hyper- over, above, increased
• hypo- below, under, decreased
• inter- between, among
• intra- within, inside
• macro- large
• mal – bad
• micro - small
• peri - surrounding, around
• poly- many

24. Common Medical Prefixes
• post - after
• sub- under, less, below
• super- above, excessive, beyond
• tachy - fast

25. Common Medical Abbreviations
• c – with
• s – without
• a – before
• p – after
• po – by mouth
• prn – as needed
• NPO – nothing by mouth

26. Common medical Abreviations
• ASAP – as soon as possible
• ABG’s - arterial blood gases
• ac – before meals
• amb – ambulate or to walk
• BP – blood pressure
• BS – blood sugar
• CBC – complete blood count
• CXR – chest x-ray

27. Common Medical Abbreviations
• DNR – do not resuscitate
• EKG – electrocardiogram
• ER - emergency room
• GI – gastrointestinal
• ICU – intensive care unit
• PACU – post-anesthesia care
unit
• PT - physical therapy
• VS – vital signs
• wnl - within normal
limits

28. Common Medical Abbreviations
• IV – intravenous (within a vein)
• Rx – prescription
• Tx – treatment
• y/o – year old
• SOB – shortness of breath
• W/C – wheel chair
• Pt - patient
• c/o – complaining of / care of

29. Activity
• Create 5 medical words using the Root words ,
prefixes and suffixes
• give the word to the other group to find the
meanings

30. exercise
• A 76 y/o__ admitted amb. into the ER. c/o
SOB and appears to be cyanotic. Tests
ordered: ABG’s, CBC, CXR, and EKG STAT. IV
started with 18 gauge butterfly infusing D5W
at 20 gtts/min. VS wnl. Pt. to be sent to ICU
per w/c ASAP. RX of Lanoxin 25 mg to be
given po c meals qd