Term | Definition |
Anterior | Front surface of body |
Poterior | Back |
Deep | away from surface |
Superficial | close to surface |
Proximal | near |
Distal | Far |
Inferior | Below |
Superior | Above |
Medial | Middle/Inside |
Lateral | side/outside |
Supine | lying on back |
Prone | lying on belly |
O | objective information |
Hx | history |
HPI/PI | history of present illness/present illness |
H & P | History and Physical |
C/O | Complains of |
CC | Chief Complaint |
A & W | Alive and Well |
A | assessment |
tox/o toxic/o | poison |
therm/o | heat |
son/o | sound |
scler/o | hard |
psych/o | mind |
ped/o | child or foot |
gynec/o | woman |
gen/o | organ or production |
fibr/o | fiber |
carcin/o | cancer |
pneum/o pneumon/o | air or lung |
neur/o | nerve |
nephr/o ren/o | kidney |
nas/o rhin/o | nose |
my/o muscul/o | muscle |
hist/o | tissue |
cyt/o | cell |
derm/o dermat/o cutane/o | skin |
col/o colon/o | colon |
cephal/o | head |
aden/o | gland |
abdomin/o lapar/o | abdomen |
hydro/o | water |
aer/o | air or gass |
melan/o | black |
leuk/o | white |
erythr/o | red |
cyan/o | blue |
-stasis | stand or stop |
-icle -ole -ula -ule, | small |
-plasty | surgical repair or reconstruction |
-oma | tumor |
-rrhea | discharge |
-algia -dynia | pain |
neo- | new |
post- | after or behind |
tachy- | fast |
brady- | slow |
tri- | three |
quardi- | four |
poly- multi- | many |
mono- uni- | one |
micro | small |
hypo- | below or deficient |
hemi- semi | half |
bi- | two or both |
sub- infra- | below or under |
circum- peri- | around |
a- an- | without |
plural of -y | -ies |
plural of -ax | -aces |
sub- | below or under |
-dynia | pain |
-ac -al -ar -ary -eal -ic -ous -tic | pertaining to |
peri- | around |
-tomy | incision |
-ology | study of |
-itis | inflamation |
ur/o urin/o | urine |
oste/o | bone |
hepat/o | liver |
hem/o hemat/o | blood |
gastr/o | stomach |
esophag/o | esophagus |
enter/o | small intestine |
cardi/o | heart |
angi/o vas/o vascul/o | vessel |
protein | protein |
lip/o | fat |
plural of -us | -i |
path/o | disease |
-metry | process of measuring |
-lysis | breaking down or dissolution |
troph/o | nourishment or development |
lith/o | stone |
sten/o | narrow |
-iasis | formation or presence of |
anti- contra- | against or opposed to |
retro- | backward or behind |
-graphy | process of recording something |
-cele | hernia or pouching |
plural of -um | -a (example; bacterium to bacteria) |
-ectasis | expansion or dilation |
-emia | blood condition |
plural of -ex or -ix | -ices (ex: appendix to appendices |
-malacia | softening |
orth/o | normal, straight or correct |
or/o | mouth |
-rrhexis | rupture |
-rrhaphy | suture |
acr/o | extremity or topmost |
ultra- | excessive or beyond |
OH | occupational history |
plural of -on | -a (ex: phenomenon to phenomena) |
-stomy | creation of an opening |
-y | process of or condition |
morph/o | form |
-ptosis | downward, displacement or falling |
-phil -philia | attraction for |
-poiesis | formation |
-gram | record |
plural of -ma | -mata |
hyper- | excessive |
oligo- | few or deficient |
esthesi/o | sensation |
py/o | pus |
-al -eal | pertaining to |
plural of -a | -ae |
endo- | within |
-e | general indicator that a word is a person, place or thing |
-desis | binding |
plural of -is | -es |
inter- | between |
ecto- exo- extra- | outside |
-penia | abnormal reduction |
onc/o | tumor or mass |
crin/o | to secrete |
-graph | instrument for recording something |
meta- | after, beyond or change |
necr/o | death |
R/O | rule out |
ROS, SR | review of symptoms or symptoms review |
S | subjective information |
SH | social history |
Sx | symptoms |
UCHD | usual childhood disease |
WNL | within normal limits |
acute | a short course, or sharp;having intense, or often sever aymptoms |
chronic | a condition that develops slowly and persists over a period of time |
benign | noncancerous or mild |
malignant | cancerous or harmful |
degeneration | gradual deterioration of normal cells and body functions |
degenerative disease | any disease in which deterioration of the structure or function of tissue occurs |
diagnosis | determination of the presence of a disease based on an evaluation of symptoms, signs and test findings |
etiology | study of cause of disease |
excerbation | increase in severity of a disease, with aggravation of symptoms |
remission | a period in which symptoms and signs stop or abate |
febrile | relating to a fever |
idiopathic | a condition occurring without a clearly identified cause |
localized | limit to a definite area or part |
systemic | relating to the whole body rather than to only a part |
malaise | a feeling of uneasiness or discomfort; often the first indication of illness |
marked | significant |
morbidity | sick; a disease state |
mortality | the state of being subject to death |
prognosis | foreknowledge; prediction of the likely outcome of a disease based on general health status of a patient along with knowledge of the usual course of the disease; often noted in one word (good or bad) |
progressive | pertaining to the advance of a condition as the signs and symptoms increase in severity |
prophylaxis | a process or measure that prevents disease |
recurrent | to occur again; describes a return of symptoms and signs after a period of rest or inactivity |
sequela | a disorder or condition usually resulting from a previous disease or injury |
sign | a mark; objective evidence that can be seen or verified by an examiner |
symptom | subjective evidence of disease that is perceived by the patient and often noted in his or her own words |
syndrome | a running together; combination of symptoms and signs that give a distinct clinical picture indicating a particular condition or disease |
noncontributory | not involved in bringing on the condition or result |
unremarkable | common; not out of the ordinary or significant |
CCU | coronary (cardiac) care unit |
ECU | emergency care unit |
ER or ED | emergency room or emergency department |
ICU | intensive care unit |
IP | inpatient (registered bed patient) |
OP | outpatient |
PACU | post anesthetic care unit |
PAR | Post anesthetic recovery |