Digestive System Terminology and Clinical Procedures - Med Term CH 6

Chapter 6: Additional Suffixes and Digestive System Terminology

Introduction

This chapter focuses on medical terminology related to the digestive system, including suffixes, combining forms, laboratory tests, clinical procedures, and common abbreviations. Understanding these terms is essential for interpreting medical reports and records in the context of digestive health.

Suffixes in Digestive System Terminology

Key Suffixes and Their Meanings

• -emesis: Vomiting

• -pepsia: Digestion

• -phagia: Eating, swallowing

• -plasty: Surgical repair

• -ptysis: Spitting

• -rrhage, -rrhagia: Bursting forth (usually of blood)

• -rrhaphy: Suture

• -rrhea: Flow, discharge

• -spasm: Involuntary contraction of muscles

• -stasis: Stopping, controlling

• -stenosis: Narrowing, tightening

• -tresia: Opening

Suffixes Used as Standalone Terms: Some suffixes can also be used as independent medical terms, such as emesis (vomiting), lysis (breakdown), spasm (muscle contraction), stasis (stopping), and stenosis (narrowing).

Combining Forms and Digestive System Terminology

Common Combining Forms and Their Meanings

• bucc/o: Cheek

• cec/o: Cecum

• celi/o: Abdomen

• cheil/o: Lip

• chol/e: Gall, bile

• cholangi/o: Bile duct (vessel)

• cholecyst/o: Gallbladder

• choledoch/o: Common bile duct

• col/o, colon/o: Colon

• dent/i, odont/o: Tooth

• duoden/o: Duodenum

• enter/o: Intestines

• esophag/o: Esophagus

• gastr/o: Stomach

• gingiv/o: Gums

• gloss/o, lingu/o: Tongue

• gluc/o, glyc/o: Sugar

• hepat/o: Liver

• herni/o: Hernia

• ile/o: Ileum

• jejun/o: Jejunum

• labi/o: Lip

• lip/o, steat/o: Fat

• lith/o: Stone

• or/o, stomat/o: Mouth

• palat/o: Palate

• pancreat/o: Pancreas

• proct/o: Anus and rectum

• pylor/o: Pyloric sphincter

• rect/o: Rectum

• sialaden/o: Salivary gland

• splen/o: Spleen

Example: The term hepatomegaly combines hepat/o (liver) and -megaly (enlargement) to mean "enlarged liver."

Laboratory Tests and Clinical Procedures

Laboratory Tests

• Lipase tests: Measure the level of lipase enzyme in blood, useful for diagnosing pancreatitis.

• Liver function tests (LFTs): Assess enzymes and bilirubin in blood to evaluate liver health.

• Stool culture: Detects microorganisms in stool, indicating infection.

• Stool guaiac test/Hemoccult test: Detects hidden blood in feces, screening for gastrointestinal bleeding.

Clinical Procedures

• X-rays: Imaging techniques for digestive tract evaluation.

  • Lower gastrointestinal series (barium enema): Visualizes colon and rectum.

  • Upper gastrointestinal series: Examines esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

  • Cholangiography: Visualizes bile ducts.

  • Computed tomography (CT scan): Cross-sectional imaging of abdominal organs.

• Ultrasound examination:

  • Abdominal ultrasonography: Uses sound waves to image abdominal organs.

  • Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS): Combines endoscopy and ultrasound for detailed GI tract images.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Provides high-resolution images of soft tissues.

• Nuclear medicine test: Hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan (HIDA scan) assesses gallbladder function.

• Other procedures:

  • Gastric bypass or bariatric surgery: Reduces stomach size for weight loss.

  • Gastrointestinal endoscopy: Visual examination of the GI tract using a flexible tube.

  • Laparoscopy: Minimally invasive visual examination of the abdomen.

  • Liver biopsy: Removal of liver tissue for microscopic examination.

  • Nasogastric intubation: Insertion of a tube through the nose into the stomach for feeding or drainage.

  • Paracentesis (abdominocentesis): Surgical puncture to remove fluid from the abdomen.

Common Abbreviations in Digestive System Medicine

Abbreviations and Their Meanings

Abbreviation	Meaning
AFP	Alpha-Fetoprotein (tumor marker for liver cancer)
alk phos	Alkaline phosphatase
ALT, AST	Alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase (liver enzymes)
BE	Barium enema
BM	Bowel movement
BRBPR	Bright red blood per rectum
CD	Celiac disease
CT	Computed tomography
EGD	Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
ERCP	Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
EUS	Endoscopic ultrasonography
FOBT	Fecal occult blood test
G-tube	Gastrostomy tube (feeding tube)
GB	Gallbladder
GERD	Gastroesophageal reflux disease
GI	Gastrointestinal
HBV	Hepatitis B virus
IBD	Inflammatory bowel disease
J-tube	Jejunostomy tube (feeding tube)
LAC	Laparoscopic-assisted colectomy
LFTs	Liver function tests
MRI	Magnetic resonance imaging
NASH	Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
NG tube	Nasogastric tube
NPO	Nothing by mouth
PEG tube	Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube
PEJ tube	Percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy tube
PTHC	Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography
PUD	Peptic ulcer disease
TPN	Total parenteral nutrition
T tube	Tube placed in the bile duct for drainage

Review of Suffixes

Additional Suffixes and Their Meanings

Suffix	Meaning
-ase	Enzyme
-centesis	Puncture to remove fluid
-chezia	Defecation; elimination of wastes
-ectomy	Removal; excision; resection
-emesis	Vomiting
-emia	Blood condition
-genesis	Producing; forming
-graphy	Process of recording
-iasis	Abnormal condition
-lysis	Breakdown; separation; destruction; loosening
-megaly	Enlargement
-orexia	Appetite
-pathy	Disease; emotion
-pepsia	Digestion
-phagia	Eating; swallowing
-prandial	Meal
-plasty	Surgical repair
-ptosis	Droop; sag; prolapse; fall
-ptysis	Spitting
-rrhage, -rrhagia	Bursting forth (of blood)
-rrhaphy	Suture
-rrhea	Flow; discharge
-scopy	Visual examination
-spasm	Sudden contraction of muscles
-stasis	Stop; control; place
-stenosis	Tightening; stricture
-stomy	New opening (to form a mouth)
-tomy	Process of cutting
-tresia	Opening

Application and Context

Using Medical Terminology in Practice

• Medical terms are constructed from combining forms and suffixes to describe conditions, procedures, and anatomy.

• Understanding these terms aids in interpreting medical records and communicating effectively in clinical settings.

• Example: Hemostasis combines hem/o (blood) and -stasis (stopping), meaning "to control or stop bleeding."

Summary Table: Suffixes and Combining Forms

Term	Meaning	Example
-megaly	Enlargement	Hepatomegaly (enlarged liver)
-stasis	Stopping, controlling	Hemostasis (stopping bleeding)
-phagia	Eating, swallowing	Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
-rrhea	Flow, discharge	Diarrhea (excessive discharge from bowels)
chol/e	Bile	Cholecystitis (inflammation of gallbladder)
gastr/o	Stomach	Gastritis (inflammation of stomach)

Additional info:

• Suffixes and combining forms are foundational for building medical vocabulary, especially in anatomy and physiology courses.

• Laboratory and clinical procedures are essential for diagnosing and managing digestive system diseases.

• Abbreviations are commonly used in medical documentation and should be memorized for efficient communication.