UNIT 1

Introduction

Grading

“A grade is an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite amount of material.”

[Gardiner, Lion F., Redesigning Higher Education. Ashe-Eric Higher Education Report Vol.23, No. 7 George Washington University, (67).]

Frame Exams

You must score 80% or above on the unit

examinations.

If you do not score 80% you can take the

exam over in the allotted exam time. The exam

time will not be extended.

If you take the exam over, your score for the

unit will be weighted using the following

formula:

Weighting Formula

(2 x first exam score) + (second exam score) /3

(2x 60) + (100) /3 = 73

(2x 85) + (75) /3 = 82

Testing Tips

Take the tests in a WSU testing center on

ChiTester

You must present a photo ID to receive an

examination.

Make sure your audio is working properly

before starting the exam.

You can only review the questions you missed

immediately after you complete the exam.

“The exams weren’t fair. If we missed one

letter it was wrong. There should be some sort

of way to recognize this and give a little. She

was not willing to give at all, even when it was

only one letter. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Report says health care errors cause more deaths than highway accidents.

As many as 98,00 Americans die unnecessarily every year from medical mistakes made by physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals, according to an independent report released Monday that calls for a major overhaul of how the nation addresses medical errors.” The Washington Post

Root Cause Analysis: A Case Study

Elderly patient with blood clot in artery of leg

Heparin ordered at 200 units/hour

RN caregiver scheduled to attend meeting.

Arranged coverage with 2nd RN…student RN

also assigned to care team.

2nd RN called to another room…student starts

heparin at 200 cc/hr.

Researchers found a rate of 11 drug-related harmful events for every 100 hospitalized children.

That compares with an earlier estimate of 2 per 100 hospitalized children, based on traditional detection methods.

“These data and the Dennis Quaid episode are telling us that..experiencing harm…is more common than people believe.” Homer, National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality 2008

Study hints

Arrive on time for every class.

Study ( at least briefly) after each class.

Limit study sessions to no more than ½ hour to

45 minutes.

Rephrase concepts

If it’s your style, study in groups.

Study hints

Make up your own tests

Don’t rely on drugs such as caffeine.

Use a special study spot.

Study for final from day one.

Take it easy the day before the test.

Student Advice

“My best advice is to make sure and do your

frames faithfully, then follow up with flash cards. It

takes a lot of time but it is very well worth the

effort come midterms and finals.”

“Make note cards because they will save your life!

Do the reviews at the end of each section.”

Make sure you do your flash cards”

Student Advice

“The index cards are helpful for a good review

before testing and for the midterm and the final.”

“If you make flash cards you will do very well in this

class.”

“Do your frames, make flash cards and listen to the

CDs and you will be fine.”

Elements used to form words

Word Root

Combining Vowel

Combining form

Prefix

Suffix

Word Root

Basic core of any word

Hepat-o-tome

Gastr-o-tome

Arthr-o-tome

Combining vowel

O- most commonly used

A,e,i,u, y – occasionally used

Therm-o-meter, micr-o-film, phon-o-graph

Combining Form

Combining vowel with word root

Word Root + Combining Vowel = Combining form

Speed- o = Speedo

Therm- o = Thermo

Arthr- o = Arthro

Prefix

Syllable placed before word or word root to alter its meaning or create a new word.

Micr-o-cyte

Micr: prefix

O: combining vowel

Cyte: word root

Macr-o-cyte

Syllable added at the end of a root or combining form to change the meaning of the root.

Suffix

Hepat-o-tome, Gastr-o-tome, Arthr-o-tome

Pronunciation

Ch------- K - chromatin; sometimes chronic

Ps-------- S - psychiatry , psychology

C &G---- Soft s & j before e,i,y - cytoplasm, generic

C &G---- Harsh - cardiac, gastric

I at the end eye - alveoli, glomeruli

Noun Suffix

-esis: condition

di/ur/esis: abnormal secretion of large amounts of urine

-ia

pneumon/ia: infection of lung

-ism

hyper/thyroidism: overactivity of thyroid gland

-iatry: medicine

pod/iatry: medical specialty treating feet

-ist: specialist

dermat/o/log/ist: skin doctor

-y: condition

neur/o/path/y: disease of nerves

Diminutive Suffix

-icle: small, minute, little

ventr/icle: small cavity in brain or heart

-ole

arteri/ole: minute artery

-ule

ven/ule: tiny vein

Adjective Suffix

-ac: pertaining to

cardi/ac: pertaining to heart

-al

umbilic/al: pertaining to navel

-ar

muscul/ar: pertaining to muscle

-ary

pulmon/ary: pertaining to lungs

-eal

esophag/eal: pertaining to esophagus

-ic

hepat/ic: pertaining to liver

Adjective Suffix (cont’d)

-ical: pertaining to

neur/o/log/ical: pertaining to (-ic & -al) study of nerves

-ile

pen/ile: pertaining to penis

-ior

anter/ior: pertaining to front

-ous

cutane/ous: pertaining to skin

-tic

acous/tic: pertaining to hearing

Plural Suffixes (Spelling Words)

Sarcoma-sarcomata Retain the ma and add ta

Thrombus-thrombi Drop us and add i

Appendix-appendices Drop ix and add ices

Diverticulum-diverticuli Drop um and add a

Ovary-ovaries Drop y and add ies

Plural Suffixes (Spelling Words)(cont’d)

Diagnosis-diagnoses Drop is and add es

Lumen-lumina Drop en and add ina

Vertebra-vertebrae Retain the a and add e

Thorax-thoraces Drop the x and add es

Spermatozoon-spermatozoa Drop on and add a

Common Suffixes

-CENTESIS

Suffix - Surgical puncture

Arthr/o/centesis - surgical puncture of a joint

-CLAST

Suffix - Surgical puncture

Arthr/o/centesis - surgical puncture of a joint

-DESIS

Suffix - binding, fixation ( of a bone or joint)

Arthr/o/desis - fixation of joint

-ECTOMY

Suffix - excision, removal

Append/ectomy - surgical removal of the appendix

-LYSIS

Suffix - separation;destruction;loosening

Thromb/o/lysis - clot dissolving

-PEXY

Suffix - fixation (of an organ)

Mast/o/pexy - performed to affix sagging breasts

-PLASTY

Suffix-plasty - surgical repair

Rhinoplasty - surgical repair of the nose

-RRHAPHY

Suffix - suture

My/o/rrhaphy - muscle suturing

-STOMY

Forming a new opening (mouth)

Trache/o/stomy - form a new opening in trachea to

bypass obstructed upper airway

-TOME

Suffix - instrument to cut

Oste/o/tome - bone cutter

-TOMY

Suffix - incision

Trache/o/tomy - incision into trachea

-GRAM

Suffix - record, writing

Electr/o/cardi/o/gram - electrical recording of

heart

-GRAPH

Suffix - instrument for recording

Cardi/o/graph - machine that records

electrocardiograms

-GRAPHY

Suffix - process of recording

Angi/o/graphy - process of recording a picture of

the blood vessels

-METER

Suffix - instrument for measuring

Pelv/i/meter - instrument for measuring pelvis

-METRY

Suffix - act of measuring

Pelv/i/metry - process of measuring pelvis

-SCOPE

Suffix - instrument for examining

Broncho/scope - instrument for looking at bronchus

-SCOPY

Suffix - Visual examination

Broncho/scopy - process of examining bronchus

Pathological Suffixes

-ALGIA, -DYNIA

Pathological Suffix - pain

Neur/algia - nerve pain

-CELE

Pathological suffix - hernia, swelling

Hepat/o/cele - hernia of the liver

-ECTASIS

Pathological Suffix - dilation, expansion

Bronchi/ectasis - dilation of bronchi (plural

bronchus)

-EDEMA

Pathological suffix - swelling

Lymph/edema - swelling of lymph nodes

-EMESIS

Pathological suffix - vomiting

Hyper/emesis - above normal vomiting

-EMIA

Pathological suffix - blood condition

An/emia - without blood (low red blood cell count)

-IASIS

Pathological suffix - abnormal condition

Chol/e/lith/iasis - disease produced by gall stones

-ITIS

Pathological suffix - inflammation

Gastr/it is - inflammation of the stomach

-LITH

Pathological suffix - stone, calculus

Chol/e/lith - gall stone

-MALACIA

Pathological suffix - softening

Chondr/o/malacia - cartilage softening

-MEGALY

Pathological suffix - enlargement

Cardi/o/megaly - heart enlargement

-OMA

Pathological suffix - tumor

Neur/oma - nerve tumor

-OSIS

Pathological suffix - abnormal condition

Cyan/osis - blue condition

-PATHY

Pathological suffix - disease

My/o/pathy - disease of the muscle

-PENIA

Pathological suffix - decrease, deficiency

Leuk/o/cyt/o/penia - decrease in white cells

-PHOBIA

Pathological suffix - fear

Hem/o/phobia - fear of blood

-PLEGIA

Pathological suffix - paralysis

Hemi/plegia - one half paralyzed

-RRHAGE, -RRHAGIA

Pathological suffix - bursting (of)

Hem/o/rrhage - blood bursting or bleeding

-RRHEA

Pathological suffix - discharge, flow

Dia/rrhea - discharge or flowing of fecal material

-RRHEXIS

Pathological suffix - rupture

Arteri/o/rrhexis - rupture of artery

-STENOSIS

Pathological suffix - narrowing, stricture

Arteri/o/stenosis - narrowing of artery

-TOXIC

Pathological suffix - poison

Hepat/o/toxic - Substance is poisonous to the liver

-TROPHY

Pathological suffix - development, nourishment

Dys/trophy - bad or abnormal development

Common Prefixes

A-, AN-

Without, not

A-before a consonant - a/mastia-without a breast

An- before a vowel - an/esthesia- without feeling

CIRCUM-, PERI-

Around

Circum/cision - cutting around

Peri/odont/al - pertaining to area around teeth

DIA-, TRANS-

Through, across

Dia/rrhea – discharge or flowing of fecal material

Trans/vagina/al- pertaining to something through

the vagina

DIPL-, DIPLO-

Double or 2

Diplopia - double vision

Diplo/bacteri/al - pertaining to bacteria in pairs

ENDO-, INTRA-

In, within

Endo/crine - Gland that secretes directly into the

blood stream

Intra/muscul/ar - In the muscle

HOMO-, HOMEO-

Same

Homo/graft - graft from the patient to their own

body- also called allograft

Homeostasis - Maintaining equilibrium

HYPO-

Under, below, deficient

Hypodermic - Pertaining to under the skin

MACRO-, MICRO-

Large, small

Macrocyte - large cell

Microcyte - small cell

MONO-, UNI-

One

Monocyte - cell with one nucleus

Uni/nucle/ar - pertaining to a single nucleus

POST-, PRE-

After, before

Post/nat/al - pertaining to time after birth

Pre/nat/al - pertaining to time before birth

PRIMI-

First

Primi/gravida - first pregnancy

RETRO-

Backward, behind

Retroversion - turn backwards

SUPER-

Upper, above

Super/ior - pertaining to top or upper