Ebook Medical language instant translator

Medical Language

Instant Translator


This page intentionally left blank


DAVI-ELLEN CHABNER, BA, MAT

Medical Language

Instant
Translator

FIFTH
EDITION


3251 Riverport Lane
St. Louis, Missouri 63043
ISBN: 978-1-4557-5831-9

MEDICAL LANGUAGE INSTANT
TRANSLATOR, FIFTH EDITION

Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2007, 2004, 2001, by Saunders, an imprint of
Elsevier Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any

information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the
Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such
as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be
found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under
copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new
research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research
methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience
and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods,
compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information
or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of
others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
With respect to any drug or pharmaceutical products identified, readers
are advised to check the most current information provided (i) on
procedures featured or (ii) by the manufacturer of each product to be
administered, to verify the recommended dose or formula, the method and
duration of administration, and contraindications. It is the responsibility
of practitioners, relying on their own experience and knowledge of their
patients, to make diagnoses, to determine dosages and the best treatment
for each individual patient, and to take all appropriate safety precautions.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors,
contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to
persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise,
or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas
contained in the material herein.
ISBN: 978-1-4557-5831-9

Vice President and Publisher: Andrew Allen
Content Strategy Director: Jeanne Olson
Content Strategist: Linda Woodard
Content Development Specialist: Luke Held
Publishing Services Manager: Julie Eddy
Senior Project Manager: Celeste Clingan
Design Direction: Ellen Zanolle
Printed in the United States of America
Last digit is the print number:  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1


WELCOME
This Medical Language Instant Translator provides
quick access to useful, medically related information
for both laypersons and students entering healthrelated professions. Today we are increasingly exposed
to medical terminology, whether it be at the doctor’s
office, on the Internet, or in the media. Analyzing and
understanding these terms allow us to participate in
important issues affecting our society, as well as to
make better decisions about our own health.
Using this handy pocket-sized book, you will be
able to do the following:
· Decipher complicated medical terms by
recognizing and finding the meanings of individual
word parts
· Distinguish between commonly misunderstood
medical terms
· Recognize specialized terms used in medical
records
· Access information on medical abbreviations,

symbols, acronyms, and professional designations
· Understand the definitions of commonly used
diagnostic tests and procedures
· Identify the top 100 prescription drugs and their
uses
· Understand the significance of familiar
complementary and alternative medical terms
· Interpret the significance of common blood tests
· Visualize the location of many organs and body
structures with full-color illustrations

v


vi  

WELCOME

Although this Instant Translator dovetails with
information in both my books, The Language of
Medicine and Medical Terminology: A Short Course,
all students of medical language can benefit from it.
Please let me know how the Instant Translator works
for you. Have fun using it!

Davi-Ellen Chabner



CONTENTS

PART 1  The Language of Medicine
How to Analyze Medical Terms.....................................3
Glossary of Word Parts Used in Medical Terminology....7
MEDICAL WORD PARTS—ENGLISH.................................................. 7
ENGLISH—MEDICAL WORD PARTS................................................ 35

Abbreviations..............................................................75
Acronyms...................................................................99
Eponyms..................................................................103
Symbols....................................................................111
Plurals......................................................................113
Medical Terms Easily Confused.................................115
Specialized Terms Used in Medical Records..............127
Definitions of Diagnostic Tests and Procedures........131
RADIOLOGY, ULTRASOUND, AND OTHER
IMAGING PROCEDURES................................................................. 131
NUCLEAR MEDICINE: RADIONUCLIDE SCANS........................... 138
CLINICAL PROCEDURES................................................................ 141
LABORATORY TESTS....................................................................... 150

PART 2  Useful Information
Abbreviations for Selected Health Care
Organizations, Associations, and Agencies................165
Professional Designations for Health
Care Providers..........................................................175
Medical Coding Certifications....................................187
Surgical Terminology and Technology.......................193

vii

viii  

CONTENTS

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Terms.......213
Common Drugs and Their Uses................................227
Major Diagnostic Categories and Diagnosis-Related
Groups......................................................................239
Normal Hematologic Reference Values and
Implications of Abnormal Results.............................291
BLOOD CELL COUNTS.................................................................. 292
COAGULATION TESTS................................................................... 294
RED BLOOD CELL TESTS............................................................... 295
SERUM TESTS.................................................................................. 296

Internet Resources...................................................301
PART 3  Body Systems Illustrations
Index of Body Systems Illustrations.........................319
Cardiovascular System (Aorta & Major Arteries).......327
Cardiovascular System (Heart)..................................328
Digestive System......................................................329
Ear...........................................................................330
Endocrine System.....................................................331
Eye...........................................................................332
Integumentary System (Skin)...................................333
Lymphatic System....................................................334
Muscles (Anterior Superficial)..................................335
Muscles (Posterior Superficial).................................336
Nervous System........................................................337

Female Reproductive System....................................338
Male Reproductive System........................................339
Respiratory System...................................................340
Skeletal System........................................................341
Urinary System.........................................................342


Medical Language

Instant Translator


This page intentionally left blank


PART 1

The Language
of Medicine


This page intentionally left blank


HOW TO ANALYZE
MEDICAL TERMS*
Studying medical terminology is very similar to
learning a new language. At first, the words sound
strange and complicated, although they may stand for
commonly known disorders and terms. For example,

cephalgia means “headache,” and an ophthalmologist
is an “eye doctor.”
Your first job in learning the language of medicine
is to understand how to divide words into their
component parts. Logically, most terms, whether
complex or simple, can be broken down into basic
parts and then understood. For example, consider the
following term:

The root is the foundation of the word. All medical
terms have one or more roots. For example, the root
hemat means blood.
The suffix is the word ending. All medical terms have
a suffix. The suffix -logy means process of study.
The combining vowel—usually o, as in the term
above—links the root to the suffix or the root to

*From Chabner DE: The Language of Medicine, 10th ed. Philadelphia,
Saunders, 2014.

3


4  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

another root. A combining vowel has no meaning of its
own; it joins one word part to another.
It is useful to read the meaning of medical terms

starting from the suffix and then going back to the
beginning of the term. Thus, the term hematology
means process of study of blood.
Here is another familiar medical term:

The root electr means electricity.
The root cardi means heart.
The suffix -gram means record.
The entire word (reading from the suffix back to the
beginning of the term) means record of the electricity
in the heart.
Notice that there are two combining vowels—both
o—in this term. The first o links the two roots electr
and cardi; the second o links the root cardi and the
suffix -gram.
Try another term:

The root gastr means stomach.
The suffix -itis means inflammation.
The entire word, reading from the end of the term
(suffix) to the beginning, means inflammation of the
stomach.
Note that the combining vowel, o, is missing in this
term. This is because the suffix, -itis, begins with a
vowel. The combining vowel is dropped before a suffix
that begins with a vowel. It is retained, however,
between two roots, even if the second root begins with
a vowel. Consider the following term:

HOW TO ANALYZE MEDICAL TERMS  

5

The root gastr means stomach.
The root enter means intestines.
The suffix -logy means process of study.
The entire term means process of study of the
stomach and intestines.
Note that the combining vowel is used between gastr
and enter, even though the second root, enter, begins
with a vowel. When a term contains two or more
roots related to parts of the body, anatomic position
often determines which root goes before the other.
For example, the stomach receives food first, before
the small intestine—so the word is formed as
gastroenterology, not “enterogastrology.”

In summary, remember three general rules:
1.Read the meaning of medical terms from the
suffix back to the beginning of the term and
across.
2.Drop the combining vowel (usually o) before a
suffix beginning with a vowel: gastritis, not
“gastroitis.”
3.Keep the combining vowel between two roots:
gastroenterology, not “gastrenterology.”

In addition to the root, suffix, and combining
vowel, two other word parts are commonly found in

medical terms. These are the combining form and
the prefix. The combining form is simply the root plus
the combining vowel. For example, you already are
familiar with the following combining forms and their
meanings:


6  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

HEMAT/O

means

blood

Root + combining vowel = COMBINING FORM
GASTR/O

means

stomach

Root + combining vowel = COMBINING FORM
CARDI/O

means

heart

Root + combining vowel = COMBINING FORM

Combining forms are used with many different
suffixes. Remembering the meaning of a combining
form will help you understand different medical terms.
The prefix is a small part that is attached to the
beginning of a term. Not all medical terms contain
prefixes, but the prefix can have an important influence
on the meaning. Consider the following examples:
HYPO/GASTR/IC

means

prefix
root
suffix
(below) (stomach) (pertaining to)
EPI/GASTR/IC

means

prefix
root
suffix
(above) (stomach) (pertaining to)

pertaining
to below
the stomach

pertaining
to above
the stomach

In summary, the important elements of medical
terms are the following:
1.Root: foundation of the term
2.Suffix: word ending
3.Prefix: word beginning
4.Combining vowel: vowel (usually o) that links
the root to the suffix or the root to another root
5.Combining form: combination of the root and
the combining vowel


GLOSSARY OF WORD
PARTS USED IN MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY*
Medical Word Parts—English
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

a-, anababdomin/o

-ac
acanth/o
acetabul/o
acous/o
acr/o
acromi/o
actin/o
acu/o
-acusis
ad-ad
aden/o
adenoid/o
adip/o

MEANING

no; not; without
away from
abdomen
pertaining to
spiny; thorny
acetabulum (hip socket)
hearing
extremities; top; extreme
point
acromion (extension of
shoulder bone)
light
sharp; severe; sudden
hearing

toward
toward
gland
adenoids
fat

*From Chabner DE: The Language of Medicine, 10th ed. St Louis,
Elsevier/Saunders, 2014.

7


8  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

adren/o
adrenal/o
aer/o
afagglutin/o
-agon
agora-agra
-al
alb/o
albin/o

albumin/o
alges/o
-algesia
-algia
all/o
alveol/o
ambly/o
-amine
amni/o
amyl/o
an/o
-an
anaandr/o
aneurysm/o
angi/o
anis/o
ankyl/o
anteanter/o
anthrac/o

MEANING

adrenal gland
adrenal gland
air
toward
clumping; sticking together
assemble, gather
marketplace
excessive pain

pertaining to
white
white
albumin (protein)
sensitivity to pain
sensitivity to pain
pain
other
alveolus; air sac; small sac
dim; dull
nitrogen compound
amnion (sac surrounding the
embryo)
starch
anus
pertaining to
up; apart; backward; again,
anew
male
aneurysm (widened blood
vessel)
vessel (blood)
unequal
stiff
before; forward
front
coal


GLOSSARY OF WORD PARTS USED IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY  

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

MEANING

anthr/o
antianxi/o
aort/o
-apheresis
aphth/o
apoaponeur/o
append/o
appendic/o
aque/o
-ar
-arche
arter/o
arteri/o
arteriol/o
arthr/o
-arthria
articul/o
-ary
asbest/o
-ase
-asthenia
atel/o

ather/o
-ation
atri/o
audi/o
audit/o
aur/o
auricul/o
aut/o
aut-, autoaxill/o
azot/o

antrum of the stomach
against
uneasy; anxious
aorta (largest artery)
removal
ulcer
off, away
aponeurosis (type of tendon)
appendix
appendix
water
pertaining to
beginning
artery
artery
arteriole (small artery)
joint
articulate (speak distinctly)
joint

pertaining to
asbestos
enzyme
lack of strength
incomplete
plaque (fatty substance)
process; condition
atrium (upper heart chamber)
hearing
hearing
ear
ear
self, own
self, own
armpit
urea; nitrogen

9


10  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

MEANING

bacill/o
bacteri/o
balan/o
bar/o
bartholin/o
bas/o
bibi/o
bil/i
bilirubin/o
-blast
-blastoma
blephar/o
bol/o
brachi/o
brachybradybronch/o
bronchi/o
bronchiol/o
bucc/o
bunion/o
burs/o
byssin/o

bacilli (bacteria)
bacteria
glans penis
pressure; weight
Bartholin glands
base; opposite of acid
two

life
bile; gall
bilirubin
embryonic; immature cell
immature tumor (cells)
eyelid
cast; throw
arm
short
slow
bronchial tube
bronchial tube
bronchiole
cheek
bunion
bursa (sac of fluid near joints)
cotton dust

cac/o
calc/o
calcane/o
calci/o
cali/o, calic/o
capillar/o
capn/o
-capnia
carcin/o
cardi/o

bad

calcium
calcaneus (heel bone)
calcium
calyx (cup shaped)
capillary (tiniest blood vessel)
carbon dioxide
carbon dioxide
cancerous; cancer
heart


GLOSSARY OF WORD PARTS USED IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY  

11

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

carp/o
catacaud/o
caus/o
cauter/o
cec/o
-cele
celi/o
-centesis
cephal/o
cerebell/o

cerebr/o
cerumin/o
cervic/o
-chalasia
-chalasis
cheil/o
chem/o
-chezia
chir/o
chlor/o
chlorhydr/o
chol/e
cholangi/o
cholecyst/o
choledoch/o
cholesterol/o
chondr/o
chore/o
chori/o

MEANING

wrist bones (carpals)
down
tail; lower part of body
burn; burning
heat; burn
cecum (first part of the colon)
hernia
belly; abdomen

surgical puncture to remove
fluid
head
cerebellum (posterior part of
the brain)
cerebrum (largest part of the
brain)
cerumen
neck; cervix (neck of uterus)
relaxation
relaxation
lip
drug; chemical
defecation; elimination of
wastes
hand
green
hydrochloric acid
bile; gall
bile vessel
gallbladder
common bile duct
cholesterol
cartilage
dance
chorion (outermost
membrane of the fetus)


12  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

MEANING

chorion/o
choroid/o
chrom/o
chron/o
chym/o
cib/o
-cide
-cidal
cine/o
cirrh/o
cis/o
-clasis
-clast
claustr/o
clavicul/o
-clysis
coagul/o
-coccus (-cocci, pl.)
coccyg/o
cochle/o

col/o
coll/a
colon/o
colp/o
comat/o
comi/o
conconi/o
conjunctiv/o
-constriction
contracor/o
core/o
corne/o
coron/o

chorion
choroid layer of eye
color
time
to pour
meal
killing
pertaining to killing
movement
orange-yellow
to cut
to break
to break
enclosed space
clavicle (collar bone)
irrigation; washing

coagulation (clotting)
berry-shaped bacterium
coccyx (tailbone)
cochlea (inner part of ear)
colon
glue
colon (large intestine)
vagina
deep sleep
to care for
together, with
dust
conjunctiva (lines the eyelids)
narrowing
against; opposite
pupil
pupil
cornea
heart (crown or circle)


GLOSSARY OF WORD PARTS USED IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY  

13

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

corpor/o
cortic/o
cost/o
crani/o
cras/o
crin/o
-crine
-crit
cry/o
crypt/o
culd/o
-cusis
cutane/o
cyan/o
cycl/o
-cyesis
cyst/o
cyt/o
-cyte
-cytosis
dacry/o
dacryoaden/o
dacryocyst/o
dactyl/o
dedem/o
dent/i
derm/o
-derma
dermat/o
desicc/o

MEANING

body
cortex, outer region
rib
skull
mixture; temperament
secrete
secrete; separate
separate
cold
hidden
cul-de-sac
hearing
skin
blue
ciliary body of eye; cycle;
circle
pregnancy
urinary bladder; cyst; sac of
fluid
cell
cell
condition of cells; slight
increase in numbers
tear
tear gland
tear sac; lacrimal sac
fingers; toes

lack of; down; less; removal of
people
tooth; teeth
skin
skin
skin
drying


14  

THE LANGUAGE OF MEDICINE

Medical Word Parts—English
(Continued)
COMBINING FORM,
SUFFIX, OR PREFIX

-desis
diadiaphor/o
-dilation
dipl/o
dips/o
dist/o
dors/o
dorsi-dote
-drome
duct/o
duoden/o
dur/o

-dynia
dys-eal
ececho-ectasia
-ectasis
ecto-ectomy
-edema
-elasma
electr/o
em-ema
-emesis
-emia
-emic
emmetr/o

MEANING

bind, tie together
complete; through
sweat
widening; stretching;
expanding
double
thirst
far; distant
back (of body)
back
to give
to run
to lead, carry
duodenum

dura mater
pain
bad; painful; difficult;
abnormal
pertaining to
out; outside
reflected sound
dilation; dilatation; widening
dilation; dilatation; widening
out; outside
removal; excision; resection
swelling
flat plate
electricity
in
condition
vomiting
blood condition
pertaining to blood condition
in due measure