RMA Medical Terminology 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which prefix means 'within' or 'inside'?

Ecto-
Exo-
Intra- (Correct answer)
Peri-

Correct answer: Intra-

Intra- is the prefix meaning 'within' or 'inside,' as in intravenous (within a vein), intramuscular (within a muscle), or intracranial (within the skull).

Medical prefixes convey spatial relationships. Intra- (from Latin 'intra,' meaning within) is used extensively in medicine: intravenous (IV, within a vein), intramuscular (IM, within a muscle), intradermal (ID, within the skin layers), intracranial (within the skull), intraocular (within the eye), intra-articular (within a joint). Contrasting prefixes: Ecto- and exo- both mean 'outside' or 'external' — ectopic (out of normal place), exocrine (secreting to the outside). Peri- means 'around' or 'surrounding' — pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart), periosteum (tissue surrounding bone), perianal (around the anus). Additional related prefixes: Extra- means 'outside of' or 'beyond' (extracellular, extraordinary); inter- means 'between' (intercostal = between the ribs, intervertebral); trans- means 'across' or 'through' (transdermal). Building a vocabulary of common prefixes, suffixes, and root words allows medical assistants to decode unfamiliar terms encountered in clinical documentation.

Question 2: The medical term 'tachycardia' is constructed from which components, and what does it mean?

Tachy- (slow) + cardia (heart) = slow heart rate
Tachy- (fast) + cardia (heart) = fast heart rate (Correct answer)
Tachy- (normal) + cardia (blood vessel) = normal blood pressure
Brady- (fast) + cardia (heart) = fast heart rate

Correct answer: Tachy- (fast) + cardia (heart) = fast heart rate

Tachycardia combines tachy- (fast, rapid) with -cardia (heart condition), meaning an abnormally fast heart rate, typically defined as greater than 100 beats per minute in adults.

Understanding how medical terms are constructed from word parts is the foundation of medical terminology. Tachycardia = tachy (fast/rapid) + cardia (heart) = fast heart. An adult heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute is clinically defined as tachycardia. This word-building knowledge allows you to understand related terms: bradycardia = brady (slow) + cardia = slow heart (< 60 BPM); tachypnea = tachy + pnea (breathing) = rapid breathing; bradypnea = slow breathing; arrhythmia = a (without) + rhythmia (rhythm) = without normal rhythm. The prefix brady- always signifies slow: bradycardia, bradypnea, bradykinesia (slow movement, seen in Parkinson's disease). The prefix tachy- always signifies fast: tachycardia, tachypnea, tachyphylaxis (rapidly decreasing response to a drug). This prefix pair is one of the most frequently tested in medical terminology and one of the most commonly used in clinical documentation. Medical assistants must document vital sign findings accurately using correct terminology.

Question 3: Which suffix means 'surgical removal of' (excision)?

-ostomy
-otomy
-ectomy (Correct answer)
-plasty

Correct answer: -ectomy

-Ectomy is the suffix meaning surgical removal or excision of a body part, as in appendectomy (removal of the appendix) or mastectomy (removal of the breast).

Medical suffixes related to surgical procedures are among the most commonly tested in medical terminology. Key surgical suffixes: -Ectomy = surgical removal/excision: appendectomy, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), nephrectomy (kidney removal), hysterectomy (uterus removal), mastectomy (breast removal), splenectomy (spleen removal). -Ostomy = creation of an opening/stoma: colostomy (opening into the colon), tracheostomy (opening into the trachea), ileostomy (opening into the ileum). -Otomy = cutting into/incision: laparotomy (incision into the abdomen), craniotomy (incision into the skull), phlebotomy (incision into a vein = blood drawing). -Plasty = surgical repair or reconstruction: rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction), arthroplasty (joint reconstruction), mammoplasty (breast reconstruction). -Scopy = visual examination using a scope: colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, laparoscopy. Knowing these suffixes allows medical assistants to understand any surgical procedure name they encounter.

Question 4: What does the abbreviation 'NPO' stand for and when is it used?

Normal Physiologic Output — used when recording urine output
No Prescribed Oral medication — used for non-oral drug administration
Nothing Per Os (by mouth) — used when a patient must abstain from all food and fluids (Correct answer)
No Proven Outcome — used to flag experimental treatments

Correct answer: Nothing Per Os (by mouth) — used when a patient must abstain from all food and fluids

NPO stands for 'nil per os' (Latin: nothing by mouth) and is ordered when a patient must completely abstain from eating or drinking, typically before surgery, anesthesia, or certain diagnostic procedures.

NPO (nil per os, Latin for 'nothing by mouth') is one of the most commonly encountered medical abbreviations in preoperative and procedural contexts. It is ordered to ensure an empty stomach before general anesthesia (to prevent aspiration pneumonia — inhalation of stomach contents during loss of airway reflexes), before diagnostic tests (such as abdominal ultrasound or fasting blood glucose), or during acute gastrointestinal conditions when the bowel must rest. ASA guidelines for preoperative fasting specify: clear liquids (water, apple juice, black coffee, tea) until 2 hours before anesthesia induction for elective procedures; light meals until 6 hours before; and heavier meals (including fried foods or meats) until 8 hours before. Breast milk is permitted until 4 hours before for infants. Medical assistants must explain NPO instructions clearly to patients in simple language, emphasizing that medications (unless specified otherwise by the physician) may still need to be taken with a tiny sip of water, and that the NPO time starts at midnight for morning procedures in many facilities. Patients often ask about gum, mints, or sips of water — the medical assistant should clarify per physician or facility policy.

Question 5: The root word 'hepat/o' refers to which organ?

Heart
Kidneys
Liver (Correct answer)
Stomach

Correct answer: Liver

Hepat/o is the Greek root word for liver; it appears in hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), and hepatocyte (liver cell).

Organ-specific root words are foundational to medical terminology. Hepat/o (liver): hepatitis = inflammation of the liver; hepatomegaly = enlarged liver; hepatocyte = liver cell; hepatic = pertaining to the liver; hepatoma = liver tumor; hepatotoxic = toxic to the liver. Comparing other organ roots: cardi/o = heart (cardiology, cardiomegaly); nephr/o or ren/o = kidney (nephrology, renal); gastr/o = stomach (gastritis, gastroparesis); pulmon/o or pneumon/o = lung (pulmonary, pneumonia); enter/o = small intestine (enteritis); col/o or colon/o = colon (colitis, colonoscopy); splen/o = spleen (splenomegaly); pancreat/o = pancreas (pancreatitis). Knowing organ roots allows the medical assistant to quickly decode terms encountered in physician notes, lab reports, and consultations. For example, 'hepatorenal syndrome' (hepato = liver + renal = kidney) means a syndrome affecting both the liver and kidneys — even without prior exposure to the term, the word parts reveal its meaning.

Question 6: Which combining form refers to the urinary bladder?

Ren/o
Ureter/o
Cyst/o (Correct answer)
Nephr/o

Correct answer: Cyst/o

Cyst/o is the combining form for the urinary bladder; it appears in cystitis (bladder inflammation), cystoscopy (visual examination of the bladder), and cystectomy (surgical removal of the bladder).

The urinary system has multiple combining forms that must be distinguished from one another: nephr/o and ren/o both refer to the kidney (nephrology, renal artery); ureter/o refers to the ureter (the tube from kidney to bladder); cyst/o refers to the urinary bladder; urethr/o refers to the urethra (the tube from bladder to outside); and ur/o refers to urine or the urinary system in general. Cyst/o terms: cystitis = bladder inflammation (common UTI complication); cystoscopy = endoscopic examination of the bladder interior; cystectomy = surgical removal of the bladder; cystogram = X-ray of the bladder after contrast injection; vesic/o is an alternative combining form also meaning bladder (vesicoureteral reflux). Note that cyst/o can also appear in terms referring to any fluid-filled sac or cyst (not just the bladder), such as cystadenocarcinoma (a cystic cancer). Context within the term — particularly what root words follow — clarifies the meaning. Medical assistants working in urology or performing catheterizations will encounter these terms frequently.

RMA Medical Terminology 2

Which prefix means 'within' or 'inside'?