NBCMI Medical Terminology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The medical term 'dysphagia' refers to which condition?
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing (Correct answer)
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty walking
Correct answer: Difficulty swallowing
Dysphagia specifically refers to difficulty swallowing, from 'dys-' (difficult) and 'phagia' (eating/swallowing).
Dysphagia comes from Greek 'dys' (difficult) and 'phagein' (to eat). It describes difficulty swallowing involving any part of the process from mouth to stomach. Interpreters must distinguish it from dysphasia, dyspnea, and dysplasia.
Question 2: What does the prefix 'hyper-' indicate in medical terminology?
- Below normal
- Above normal or excessive (Correct answer)
- Absence of
- Around or surrounding
Correct answer: Above normal or excessive
The prefix 'hyper-' means above normal or excessive, as in hypertension and hyperglycemia.
The prefix 'hyper-' indicates excess. Interpreters must carefully distinguish 'hyper-' from 'hypo-' (below normal), as confusing these could lead to dangerous clinical misunderstandings.
Question 3: Which body system does 'hepatobiliary' refer to?
- Heart and blood vessels
- Liver and bile ducts (Correct answer)
- Lungs and airways
- Kidneys and urinary tract
Correct answer: Liver and bile ducts
Hepatobiliary refers to the liver (hepato-) and bile ducts/gallbladder (biliary).
The term combines 'hepato-' (Greek 'hepar,' liver) and 'biliary' (relating to bile). This system includes the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Related terms include hepatitis, cholecystitis, and cholelithiasis.
Question 4: The suffix '-ectomy' means:
- Surgical repair of
- Visual examination of
- Surgical removal of (Correct answer)
- Inflammation of
Correct answer: Surgical removal of
'-ectomy' means surgical removal, as in appendectomy or cholecystectomy.
'-ectomy' from Greek 'ektome' (excision) indicates surgical removal. Distinguish from '-otomy' (cutting into), '-ostomy' (creating an opening), and '-plasty' (surgical repair).
Question 5: What does 'subcutaneous' mean for an injection site?
- Into the muscle
- Into the vein
- Under the skin (Correct answer)
- Into the joint
Correct answer: Under the skin
Subcutaneous means 'under the skin,' from 'sub-' (under) and 'cutaneous' (skin).
Subcutaneous (SC/SQ) describes the tissue layer beneath the skin. Interpreters must distinguish injection routes: subcutaneous, intramuscular (IM), intravenous (IV), intradermal, and oral.
Question 6: The term 'prognosis' in a medical context refers to:
- The cause of a disease
- The predicted course and outcome of a disease (Correct answer)
- The diagnostic test results
- The treatment plan selected
Correct answer: The predicted course and outcome of a disease
Prognosis refers to the predicted course, duration, and outcome of a disease or condition.
From Greek 'pro' (forward) and 'gnosis' (knowledge). Interpreters must distinguish prognosis from diagnosis (identification), etiology (cause), and pathogenesis (mechanism).
NBCMI Medical Terminology 2
The medical term 'dysphagia' refers to which condition?