NBCMI Medical Terminology 4

Question 1

A physician notes that a patient presents with tachypnea. What should the interpreter convey?

Accepted Answer

Rapid breathing

Answer

Tachy- means fast and -pnea refers to breathing, so tachypnea is abnormally rapid breathing.

Question 2

A patient tells the interpreter, "It burns when I pee." Which clinical term matches this complaint?

Accepted Answer

Dysuria

Answer

Dysuria means painful or difficult urination.

Question 3

In the term "appendectomy," what does the suffix -ectomy indicate?

Accepted Answer

Surgical removal

Answer

-ectomy means surgical removal, so an appendectomy is removal of the appendix.

Question 4

A surgeon diagnoses cholecystitis. Which organ is inflamed?

Accepted Answer

Gallbladder

Answer

Chole- (bile) + cyst (sac/bladder) + -itis (inflammation) means inflammation of the gallbladder.

Question 5

The doctor tells the patient that the biopsy shows the mass is benign. What meaning must the interpreter accurately convey?

Accepted Answer

It is not cancerous

Answer

Benign means non-cancerous and not spreading to other tissues.

NBCMI - National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters Practice Test