ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Version 7English and Language UsageMedium
A nurse is reviewing a patient's medical history and notes a diagnosis of 'hepatomegaly.' Which of the following conditions would the nurse expect to find upon physical examination, based on this diagnosis?
- AKidney stones
- BEnlarged spleen
- CEnlarged liver
- DInflammation of the gallbladder
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Enlarged liver
The term 'hepatomegaly' is composed of the prefix 'hepato-' referring to the liver, and the suffix '-megaly' meaning enlargement. Therefore, hepatomegaly refers to an enlarged liver.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Kidney stones are nephrolithiasis or renal calculi.
- B. Enlarged spleen is splenomegaly.
- D. Inflammation of the gallbladder is cholecystitis.
Hepatomegaly
A medical term indicating enlargement of the liver.
- Derived from 'hepato-' (liver) and '-megaly' (enlargement)
- Often a symptom of an underlying disease
- Can be detected by palpation during physical exam or imaging studies
- Causes include liver disease, heart failure, cancer
Memory trick: '-megaly' means big, the prefix tells you which organ to dig!