Medical Terminology - BSC109

This course would be useful for anyone working or wishing to work in a medical or health environment such as natural therapies, doctor's surgeries and medical administration. 

With knowledge and increased awareness of medical terms, students are able to progress  with ease into other courses in science and human health.

Would you like to work in Medical Support or Administration?

The first step toward awork in medical administration is to learn to speak and write medical language.  Graduates from this course may go on to work in any of the following situations:

• Secretary Receptionist duties for a doctor or allied health professional
• Ward Clerk in a hospital
• Medical Insurance Officer
• Marketing officer for a medical supply company
• Speakers of English as a second language who work in this area e.g. nurses

There is a logical system to the way most medical terms are constructed. If you can learn to understand the system, you will have a foundation that will enable you to de-construct and understand the meanings of both familiar, and unfamiliar medical words.

This is a more extensive course than some other medical terminology courses, but the duration of 100 hours is considered necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject, and to get to a point where deciphering medical words becomes "second nature" and is a skill that will remain embedded in your subconscious. 

COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is divided into 10 lessons as follows:

1. Scope and Nature of Medical Terminology

• What is Medical Terminology
• Origins of Words
• Structure of Words
• Medical Prefixes
• Medical Suffixes
• Constructing Medical Terms by altering prefix or suffix

2. Anatomical Structure

• Anatomical Prefixes
• Anatomical Suffixes
• Locating parts of the body
• Terms to indicate positioning of anatomical features in body
• Acronyms
• Symbols

3. Medical Equipment and Procedures Terminology

• Terms to describe Diagnostic and Surgical Procedures
• Terms to describe Medical Equipment
• Storage and Handling of Medicines
• Sterilising Equipment
• Terms to describe Bacteria
• Gram Staining
• Diagnostic Microbiology
• Research Microbiology
• Types of Wounds
• Problems Resulting from Wounds
• Treating Wounds
• Electrolytes
• Examples of Prefixes and Suffixes

4. Pharmacological Terminology

• Types of herbal and pharmaceutical medicines (eg. Alkaloids, Calmatives, Cathartics, Decongestants, Expectorants, etc)
• Pharmacological Terms (eg. Allergens, Carcinogens, Photosensitisers, Toxic Alkaloids, etc)
• Over the Counter Prescription Drugs
• Terminology for OTC and Prescription Drugs (eg. Steroids, Barbiturates, anti-Psychotic Drugs etc)
• Prefix and suffix examples

5. Musculoskeletal System Terminology

• Naming main muscles
• Musculature –Types of Muscle tissue
• Relationship between muscles and bone
• Bone and Joint problems (eg. Sprains, Broken Bones, etc)
• Disorders of musculoskeletal System (eg. Fibromyalgia, Sprains, strains, Cramp, etc)
• Suffix Examples

6. Cardiovascular, Lymphatic and Immune Systems Terminology

• Parts of the Heart
• Circulation
• Systole and Disystole
• Terms related to Disorders of Cardiovascular System
• Lymphatic System and Immunity
• Leucocytes
• Vaccination
• Immunity
• Disorders of Immunity
• Suffix and Prefix Examples

7. Respiratory and Reproductive Systems Terminology

• Lungs
• Respiration
• Pulmonary Circulation
• Gas Exchange (Diffusion, Perfusion, Arterial Pressure)
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Diagnostic Procedures for Lungs and Airways
• Respiratory Disorders
• Male Reproductive System (Penis, Testes, Scrotum etc)
• Female Reproductive System
• Pregnancy
• Parturation
• Caesarian Section, VBAC and Multiple Gestation
• Premature Birth and Miscarriage
• Reproductive Disorders (eg. Amenorrhoea, Menorhagia, PCOS, Endometriosis, etc)
• Suffix and Prefix Examples

8. Digestive and Excretory Systems Terminology

• Parts of the Digestive System
• Renal System
• Kidneys
• Ureters and Bladder
• Urethra
• Disorders of Digestive and Renal Systems (eg. Anal Fissure, Haemorrhoids, Inflammatory Bowel System, Kidney Stones, Pancreatitis, etc)
• Suffix and Prefix Examples

9. Integumentary System (Skin) Terminology

• Thermoregulation
• Electrolytes
• Types of Sensory Nerves
• Sun Protection
• Intergument Structure
• Cell Types
• Disorders (eg. Scab, Atrophic skin, Abrasion, Excoriation, Scar, Ulcer, etc)
• Diagnostic Procedures
• Suffix and Prefix Examples

10. Nervous and Sensory Systems Terminology

• Brain
• Central Nervous System
• Peripheral Nervous System
• Disorders of Nervous System
• Disorders of Sensory System (eg. Aphasia, Apraxia, Vertigo, etc)
• Diagnostic Procedures
• Suffix and Prefix Examples

AIMS
• Communicate clearly and effectively using medical terminology
• Explain the scope and nature of terminology used in medicine and allied professions.
• Identify the meaning of words that describe general anatomical features, including disorders
• Identify the meaning of words which describe medical tools, equipment and procedures.
• Identify the meaning of words that describe pharmacological terms.
• Identify the meaning of words that describe physiological and anatomical features in the musculoskeletal system, including disorders.
• To identify the meaning of words that describe physiological and anatomical features in the respiratory and reproductive systems, including disorders.
• To identify the meaning of words that describe physiological and anatomical features in the digestive and excretory systems, including disorders.
• Identify the meaning of words that describe physiological and anatomical features in the nervous and sensory systems, including disorders

Duration   100 hours

Extract from Course Notes:

Origins of Words

There are two types of medical terms:

1. Eponyms:  Words that are created by naming something after a person or after something else e.g. a disease named after the person who discovered it.

2. Systematically Constructed Words:     Medical terms created systematically using other words, or parts of (or derivations from) other words, typically Ancient Greek words or Latin words.

There has been a trend starting over the late 20^th century, to replace eponyms with systematically constructed words e.g. Parkinson’s Disease has been renamed “paralysis agitans.”

The advantage of a systematically constructed word is that the components of the word can tell us something about the meaning of the term.

By developing an understanding of the components that are commonly used in these systematically constructed words it is (in time) easier to both understand and remember the meanings of the terminology.

Structure of words

There are three parts to most medical terms:

1. The Word Root

This is usually the middle of the word and provides its core meaning.

2. The Prefix     This is normally at the start and commonly identifies a part of the core meaning.

3. The Suffix     This comes at the end and modifies the core meaning (eg. What it is interacting with or what is happening to it).

Example:    The word myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is constructed systematically from the following:

• myo (prefix) means muscle
• card (root) means heart
• itis (suffix) means inflammation

By changing the prefix only, a new word (pericarditis) can be created.

Peri- means ‘the outer layer’, so Pericarditis is a condition where the outer layer of the heart is inflamed