6.3 Respiratory Tests and Procedures

Respiratory Tests and Procedures

Respiratory procedure terms are predictable when you separate the root from the suffix. The root tells you where the procedure is directed. The suffix tells you what is being done. For example, bronch/o points to the bronchus and -scopy means visual examination, so bronchoscopy is visual examination of the bronchial passages. Thorac/o points to the chest and -centesis means surgical puncture to remove fluid or air, so thoracentesis is puncture of the chest wall or pleural space to remove fluid or air. You do not need to memorize these as unrelated words if you can read the parts.

Procedure Suffixes in Respiratory Terms

Diagnostic Terms

Spirometry is common in terminology sets because spir/o can relate to breathing and -metry means measuring. It is not a surgical removal and not a visual exam. Pulse oximetry is noninvasive measurement of estimated oxygen saturation. Arterial blood gas is often abbreviated ABG in clinical documentation, but abbreviation safety depends on school, employer, or facility policy. Chest radiography or chest x-ray produces an image. Sputum culture is a lab test on material coughed up from the lower respiratory tract, not saliva from the mouth.

Visual Examination Terms

The key is to avoid making every -scopy term a treatment. A scope may support diagnosis, sample collection, or intervention depending on clinical use, but the word part -scopy itself means visual examination. If a question asks only for the medical term meaning, choose the option that defines the viewing process.

Openings, Removals, and Punctures

Tracheostomy and tracheotomy are often confused. In many learning settings, -stomy means creation of an opening, while -tomy means incision into. A tracheostomy is a surgically created opening into the trachea, often associated with an airway tube. A tracheotomy is an incision into the trachea. In real clinical language, people sometimes use terms loosely, but terminology exams usually want the suffix distinction.

Thoracentesis is another high-yield term because -centesis means puncture to remove fluid or air. It is not the same as thoracotomy, which is incision into the chest, and not the same as thoracostomy, which is creation of an opening into the chest. Pneumonectomy uses pneumon/o plus -ectomy and means surgical removal of a lung or lung portion depending on full context. Rhinoplasty uses rhin/o plus -plasty and means surgical repair or reshaping of the nose.

How to Answer Procedure Items

Use a two-part answer: location plus action. For laryngoscopy, say larynx plus visual examination. For thoracentesis, say chest or pleural space plus puncture to remove fluid or air. For tracheostomy, say trachea plus surgical opening. For pneumonectomy, say lung plus surgical removal. This method prevents the common error of answering with only the body part. It also helps you reject distractors that use the right organ but the wrong action, such as calling bronchoscopy removal of a bronchus.