A nurse is reinforcing teaching about home safety for a client who has a history of falls.
Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the instructions?

 

Choice A rationale:

A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a root word to modify its meaning. For example, in the medical term "cardiologist," the suffix '-ologist' means a specialist or expert. A suffix is placed at the end of a root word or a combining form to create a specific medical term.

Choice B rationale:

A word root is the foundational part of a medical term. It contains the core meaning of the term and is not usually modified by prefixes or suffixes. For instance, in the term "cardiology," 'cardi-' is the word root, representing the heart. Word roots provide the essential meaning of the medical term.

Choice C rationale:

A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a root word or a combining form to modify its meaning. Prefixes are important in medical terminology as they indicate locations, numbers, or time. For example, in the term "prehypertension," the prefix 'pre-' means before. Prefixes are added at the beginning of a word.

Choice D rationale:

A combining form is a word root combined with a vowel (usually 'o') that can be joined with other word parts to create a medical term. Combining forms are used as a connector to join a root word and a suffix or another root word. For example, in the term "gastritis," 'gastr-' is the combining form, representing the stomach. Combining forms facilitate the construction of complex medical terms.

Choice A rationale:

Modified equivalents. This is not the correct answer. The abbreviation "mEq" stands for milliequivalents, not modified equivalents.

Choice B rationale:

Megaequivalents. This is not the correct answer. "Mega" is a prefix indicating a factor of one million. In the context of electrolytes and medications, milliequivalents (mEq) are the appropriate unit of measurement, not megaequivalents.

Choice C rationale:

Milliequivalents. This is the correct answer. Milliequivalents (mEq) are a measure of the chemical combining power of a substance. In medical contexts, mEq is often used to express the amount of electrolytes (such as potassium, sodium, calcium) in a solution or dosage form. It represents 1/1000th of an equivalent, which is the amount of a substance that can react with or replace one mole of hydrogen ions (H+) It is important for healthcare professionals to understand these units when dealing with medications and intravenous fluids, as incorrect administration can lead to serious health complications.

Choice D rationale:

Miniequivalents. This is not the correct answer. "Mini" is not a standard prefix used in the International System of Units (SI) The correct prefix for a thousandth of an equivalent is "milli," making milliequivalents the appropriate unit of measurement for substances like electrolytes.