These prefixes often describe location, quantity, or condition:

• a- / an- – without, not

• anti- – against

• brady- – slow

• dys- – bad, painful, difficult

• endo- – within

• epi- – upon, over

• hemi- – half

• hyper- – excessive

• hypo- – below, deficient

• inter- – between

• intra- – within

• pan- – all

• peri- – around

• poly- – many

• sub- – under

• tachy- – fast

• trans- – across

• -ac / -al / -ar / -ary / -ic / -ous – pertaining to

• -algia – pain

• -apheresis – removal

• -cele – hernia, swelling

• -centesis – surgical puncture

• -cyte – cell

• -ectomy – surgical removal

• -emia – blood condition

• -gen / -genesis – producing, origin

• -gram / -graph / -graphy – record, instrument, process

• -ia / -ism – condition

• -itis – inflammation

• -logist / -logy – specialist / study of

• -lysis – breakdown, separation

• -megaly – enlargement

• -oid – resembling

• -oma – tumor

• -osis – abnormal condition

• -pathy – disease

• -penia – deficiency

• -phagia / -phasia / -phonia / -pnea – eating / speech / voice / breathing

• -plasty – surgical repair

• -rrhage / -rrhagia – bursting forth

• -rrhea – flow, discharge

• -scope / -scopy – instrument / process of viewing

• -spasm – involuntary contraction

• -stomy – surgical opening

• -therapy – treatment

• -thorax – chest

• -tomy – incision

• -trophy – development

These roots are the core of medical terms:

• aden/o – gland

• alveol/o – alveolus

• angi/o – vessel

• bronch/o / bronchi/o – bronchus

• capn/o – carbon dioxide

• cyan/o – blue

• diaphragm/o / phren/o – diaphragm

• epiglott/o – epiglottis

• glott/o – glottis

• hem/o / hemat/o – blood

• immun/o – immune

• laryng/o – larynx

• lob/o – lobe

• lymph/o – lymph

• lymphaden/o – lymph node

• mediastin/o – mediastinum

• muc/o – mucus

• myc/o – fungus

• nas/o / rhin/o – nose

• or/o – mouth

• ox/o / ox/i – oxygen

• palat/o – palate

• pharyng/o – pharynx

• pleur/o – pleura

• pneum/o / pneumon/o – lung, air

• pulmon/o – lung

• sinus/o – sinus

• splen/o – spleen

• stern/o – sternum

• thym/o – thymus

• tonsill/o – tonsil

• trache/o – trachea

• tox/o – poison

• tubercul/o – nodule, tuberculosis

• ventil/o – to aerate

• vesic/o – bladder, sac

• xen/o – foreign

• ABG – Arterial Blood Gas

• ARDS – Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

• COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

• CXR – Chest X-ray

• ENT – Ear, Nose, Throat

• FEV1 – Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second

• FVC – Forced Vital Capacity

• HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• ICU – Intensive Care Unit

• IgA / IgG / IgM – Immunoglobulin types

• LRTI – Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

• MDI – Metered Dose Inhaler

• NMT – Nasal Mucosal Transplant

• O2 – Oxygen

• OSA – Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• PFT – Pulmonary Function Test

• PNA – Pneumonia

• PO2 / PCO2 – Partial Pressure of Oxygen / Carbon Dioxide

• PTB – Pulmonary Tuberculosis

• RA – Room Air

• RDS – Respiratory Distress Syndrome

• RLL / RML / RUL – Right Lower / Middle / Upper Lobe

• SOB – Shortness of Breath

• TB – Tuberculosis

• URI – Upper Respiratory Infection

• VAP – Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

• VC – Vital Capacity

• WBC – White Blood Cell