Medical Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Medical

Medical is the field of study and practice that involves the diagnosis, prevention, treatment or alleviation of disease. It includes a wide range of disciplines, including biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and genetics. It also includes medical imaging and a number of clinical specialties, such as cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and neurology.

Whether you’re an aspiring healthcare professional or just curious about the language used in this fascinating discipline, there are many resources available to help. One useful tool is the Medical Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. This compilation contains more than a thousand commonly encountered acronyms, abbreviations and medical terms that you’ll find on exam charts and in conversations between providers.

The dictionary’s definitions are clearly written and provide a quick reference guide for newcomers to the world of medicine. Each term is organized by the letters that comprise it, and each entry lists the related words and their meanings. For example, abrasion is a small cut, scrape or scratch that typically doesn’t cause much pain and will heal quickly. An abscess, on the other hand, is a tender, fluid-filled pocket that forms in tissue, often because of infection. A clot, or embolism, is an arterial blockage that occurs when a blood clot forms in the body.

Many medical terms are derived from Latin and ancient Greek, much like the majority of English and modern Romance languages. These root words are then further defined by a suffix that indicates their specific applications. For example, the word hepatology is a combination of the prefix hepatic (related to the liver) and the suffix -ology (the study of). The latter part refers to the scientific disciplines that deal with the structure and function of living organisms.

Other important components of the medical field are nutrition, which deals with the relationship between food and health; pathology, which examines samples of tissue to diagnose diseases; pharmacology, which is the study of pharmaceutical medications or drugs; radiology, which uses X-rays and scanning equipment in diagnostic procedures; and toxicology, which studies poisons, their effects and how they’re detected.

Medical devices are ubiquitous in our everyday lives, and they’re used to monitor, diagnose, treat or aid in the healing process of illnesses and injuries. While purchasing new devices can be expensive, refurbished medical equipment is an affordable option that offers similar functionality as new gear. In fact, prices for refurbished medical equipment can range from 30 to 40% less than that of new machines. Taking the right buying approach, however, can help you avoid sacrificing quality and longevity in favor of affordability. In some cases, refurbished medical equipment may have received functional repairs or modifications and can even come with extended warranties.

Medical is the field of study and practice that involves the diagnosis, prevention, treatment or alleviation of disease. It includes a wide range of disciplines, including biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and genetics. It also includes medical imaging and a number of clinical specialties, such as cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and neurology. Whether you’re an aspiring healthcare professional or just curious about the language used in this fascinating discipline, there are many resources available to help. One useful tool is the Medical Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. This compilation contains more than a thousand commonly encountered acronyms, abbreviations and medical terms that you’ll find on exam charts and in conversations between providers. The dictionary’s definitions are clearly written and provide a quick reference guide for newcomers to the world of medicine. Each term is organized by the letters that comprise it, and each entry lists the related words and their meanings. For example, abrasion is a small cut, scrape or scratch that typically doesn’t cause much pain and will heal quickly. An abscess, on the other hand, is a tender, fluid-filled pocket that forms in tissue, often because of infection. A clot, or embolism, is an arterial blockage that occurs when a blood clot forms in the body. Many medical terms are derived from Latin and ancient Greek, much like the majority of English and modern Romance languages. These root words are then further defined by a suffix that indicates their specific applications. For example, the word hepatology is a combination of the prefix hepatic (related to the liver) and the suffix -ology (the study of). The latter part refers to the scientific disciplines that deal with the structure and function of living organisms. Other important components of the medical field are nutrition, which deals with the relationship between food and health; pathology, which examines samples of tissue to diagnose diseases; pharmacology, which is the study of pharmaceutical medications or drugs; radiology, which uses X-rays and scanning equipment in diagnostic procedures; and toxicology, which studies poisons, their effects and how they’re detected. Medical devices are ubiquitous in our everyday lives, and they’re used to monitor, diagnose, treat or aid in the healing process of illnesses and injuries. While purchasing new devices can be expensive, refurbished medical equipment is an affordable option that offers similar functionality as new gear. In fact, prices for refurbished medical equipment can range from 30 to 40% less than that of new machines. Taking the right buying approach, however, can help you avoid sacrificing quality and longevity in favor of affordability. In some cases, refurbished medical equipment may have received functional repairs or modifications and can even come with extended warranties.