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Ok, let’s do a little review on “Suffixes”. Remember that ALL medical terms have suffixes. They can be found at the END of the term. You start with the suffix when you are doing Word Division or analyzing a medical term. And a very interesting aspect to Suffixes is that they are organized in 2 different categories either PROCEDURAL or DIAGNOSTIC.

So, what does PROCEDURAL and DIAGNOSTIC mean? Well, let’s do some Word Division….. starting with the end –AL and –IC are suffixes and both mean “pertaining to”. The Root Words are PROCEDURE and DIAGNOSIS.

Procedure: a system for accomplishing something usually to determine a diagnosis or as a treatment. Some examples of procedures are “arthroplasty”, “urinary catheter insertion”, and “nasogastric (NG) intubation.

Diagnosis: Expert identification of a disease or syndrome a person has or is believed to have.

Here’s your assignment: Reflect on your life experience and write about a procedure or diagnosis that you, a friend, or family member may have experienced. As you write the experience, include 3 medical terms as you explain. Provide the definition of the medical terms used at the END of your post.