Medical Terminology Simplified

7–73 Pyel/o/nephr/itis is an extremely dangerous condition, especially in preg-

nant women, because it can cause premature labor. The medical term for bacterial in-

fection of the renal pelvis and kidneys is

__________ / _____ / ____________________ / __________.

Two combining forms that sound alike but have different meanings are pyel/oand py/o.Here is a useful

clarification:

7–74 Use pyel/o(renal pelvis)to form medical words that mean

surgical repair of the renal pelvis:__________ / _____ / ____________________

record (x-ray) of the renal pelvis:__________ / _____ / __________

7–75 Use py/o(pus)to build words that mean

discharge or flow of pus:__________ / _____ / ____________________

abnormal condition of pus from the kidney:

_________ /_____ / ___________________ / __________

Remember not to use -iasisbecause the pus is not produced by something specified; the term just denotes that

there is pus in the kidneys.

7–76 An important diagnostic test that provides early detection of ren/al disease

is urinalysis. Urine samples are analyzed for abnormalities, such as blood or pus in

urine and other physical and chemical properties.

Hemat/uria is a condition of blood in the urine. Form a word that means pus in the

urine: __________ / __________

7–77 The prefixes a-and an-are used in words to mean withoutor not.The a-is

usually used before a consonant; the an-is usually used before a vowel.

Construct a word that literally means without urine: __________ / __________

Boldfaceindicates a word root or combining form. Blueindicates a suffix. Pinkindicates a prefix.

300 CHAPTER 7• Urinary System

pyel/o/nephr/itis

pĭ-ĕ-lō-nĕ-FRĪ-tĭs

py/uria

pī-Ū-rē-ă

an/uria

ăn-Ū-rē-ă

!

pyel/o/plasty

PĪ-ĕ-lō-plăs-tē

pyel/o/gram

PĪ-ĕ-lō-grăm

py/o/rrhea

pī-ō-RĒ-ă

py/o/nephr/osis

pī-ō-nĕf-RŌ-sĭs

!

Combining Form Meaning Example

pyel/o renal pelvis pyel/o/pathy

py/o pus py/o/rrhea