Medical Term Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Medical Term?
Medical terms are words used to describe specific medical conditions, diseases, treatments, and procedures. They are essential in the diagnosis and treatment of patients as they provide a language for healthcare professionals to communicate with each other. Medical terms can be confusing to those without medical training, but they provide important information about a patient’s health.Medical terms follow a standard format of prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Prefixes are placed before the root word and give additional information about the meaning of the word or modify its meaning in some way. Suffixes are placed after the root word and also give additional information about the meaning or modify its meaning in some way. The root word is what is left over after all prefixes and suffixes have been removed from a medical term; it is often descriptive of what type of condition or treatment it refers to. For example, bronchitis is composed of three parts: bronch-, -itis (suffix indicating inflammation), -osis (suffix indicating an abnormal condition). Bronch- refers to bronchi (the main airways leading into lungs) -itis indicates inflammation -osis indicates an abnormal condition. Together these words indicate that bronchitis is a respiratory disorder characterized by inflammation in one or both bronchi which may lead to coughing up mucus or difficulty breathing. Understanding basic medical terminology can help people better understand their own health issues as well as make informed decisions when discussing healthcare options with their doctor or other healthcare professional.