Basic Medical Terminology - Q Trivia Quiz

Answer: four times daily (abbreviation)

The abbreviation q.i.d. stands for "quater in die" in Latin, which means four times a day in English. It is usually seen in the context of prescription of drugs.

Answer: four

Quadri- is a Latin prefix meaning a quantity of four. There are many variants of this prefix, including quad-, quadra- and quadru-. Some examples of usage include quadrant (a fourth part), quadriceps (muscle with four parts), quadriplegia (paralysis affecting four limbs), and quadruplets (a multiple birth of four babies).

Answer: one of four parts

The term quadrant refers to a quarter part of a whole and is derived from the Latin "quadrantem" or "quadrans" meaning fourth part. In a medical context, it is most often used to refer to a section of the abdomen. The abdomen is divided into four parts, left and right upper, and left and right lower, with the umbilicus (navel) marking the midpoint. Abdominal pain is often described in terms of quadrant location - for example, one of the main symptoms of appendicitis is right upper quadrant pain.

Answer: type of muscle

The quadriceps is a large muscle with four parts located towards the front of the thigh. Quadri- means four and -ceps is derived from the Latin "caput" meaning head, thus quadriceps means four-headed. The head refers to the muscle's point of origin. For most muscles, one end of the muscle is fixed in its position and does not move during contraction (the head or origin), while the other end (the insertion) does move during contraction.

Answer: paralysis of all limbs

Quadriplegia is what medical linguists call a hybrid word - one which is half Latin and half Greek. It is derived from quadri- (Latin for four) and the suffix -plegia (Greek for paralysis or stroke). It refers to a medical condition where there is partial or total loss of use of all four limbs (arms and legs). An alternative medical term is tetraplegia, utilising the Greek prefix "tetra-" (meaning four).

Answer: period of isolation

Quarantine refers to a period of time and/or place in which living things (humans, animals and plants) are isolated to prevent possible spread of disease. The term quarantine comes from the Latin "quadraginta" meaning forty because traditionally, the period of quarantine during outbreaks of diseases, such as the plague, was 40 days. Nobody knows why 40 was chosen but some scholars think it may be linked to biblical references as the number 40 appears many times in the Bible (for example, the Great Flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights, the Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus had fasted in the wilderness for 40 days when the Devil tempted him, and Jesus appeared for 40 days after his resurrection).

It could also have been chosen because it was known empirically that the incubation period for most infectious diseases would be less than 40 days.

Answer: five

Quint- is a prefix derived from the Latin "quintus" meaning fifth. An example of usage is the word quintuplet, referring to one of five offspring produced at a single birth.

Answer: peritonsillar abscess

Quinsy is a word which refers the medical condition of a peritonsillar (around the tonsils) abscess, the most notable symptom being a severe sore throat. It is not the same thing as tonsillitis. Quinsy comes from the French word "esquinancie". A notable case of quinsy was that of Pope Adrian IV, the British pope (born Nicholas Breakspear).

He died in 1159, reputedly from choking on a fly in his wine, but much more likely due to quinsy.

Answer: every day (abbreviation)

The abbreviation q.d. stands for "quaque die" in Latin, which means one a day or every day in English. It is usually seen in the context of prescription of drugs.

Answer: unqualified doctor

The term "quack" is one which patients sometimes use to refer to a doctor. Sometimes it is used in a lighthearted way, as in "I'd better go and see the quack", referring to one's own doctor. However, it is more often used in a derogatory way, to indicate that somebody is not a qualified doctor or is a doctor who has unorthodox ideas and treatments, as in "I'd steer clear of that guy - he's a real quack".

The use of the term "quack" in a medical context dates from around the 1630s. It is derived from the Middle Dutch "quacksalver", referring to a peddler of salve. "Quacken" means to boast or brag, as well as to make the sound of a duck. "Salve" means a healing ointment, or to rub with ointment. Originally it referred to a person who treated others with home remedies but eventually evolved to refer to a travelling salesman who promoted (or boasted) about his "miracle cures", which were usually quite worthless. Quacksalver eventually became shortened simply to "quack".