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EMT chapter 5

Terms in this set (30)

Why medical terms?
help you communicate effectively with other members of the EMS, health care and public safety teams
Components of medical terms
word root, prefix, suffix, combining vowels
word root
the foundation of the word, usually indicates body
prefix
what occurs before the word root, location/intensity, numbers, colors, positions/directions
suffix
what occurs after the word root, procedure, condition, disease, part of speech
combining vowels
vowels join one or more word roots with other components of a term
Right/left
in relation to the patient not you
superior/inferior
toward the head/toward the feet
lateral/medial
away from midline/toward the midline
proximal/distal
closer to trunk of body/further away from trunk
superficial/deep
surface of body/deep within body
ventral/dorsal
anterior (front of body)/posterior (back of body)
palmar/plantar
palm of hand/sole of foot
apex
peak of something (like the heart)
flexion
bending a joint
extension
straightening of a joint
adduction
motion toward the midline
abduction
motion away from midline
prone
lying face down
supine
laying of their back!
fowler
semi-reclining position with the head elevated to help the patient breathe easier
semi-fowler
patients sits with the back of the stretchers at a 45 degree angle
high fowler
patients sits at 90 degree angle
Nephropathy
pathy - disease (suffix)
o - combining vowel
nephr - kidney (word root)

disease of the kidney
Dysuria
ia - condition of
dys - painful, abnormal, difficult
ur - urine

painful urination
Hyperemesis
hyper - excessive prefix
emesis - vomiting word root

excessive vomiting
analgesic
ic - pertaining to
an - absence of
alges - pain

pertaining to no pain
abbreviations
take place of words to shorten notes or documentation, use only accepted,
Symbols
sometimes used to shortcut in communication and documentation, use only accepted and widely understood.
acronym
shortening of several words, usually using the first letter of each word, could be said as its own word or by letters or both
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